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Form of [[suicide]] practiced by [[Japanese]] samurai to avoid being captured or to restore one's [[honor]]. It involves using a samurai sword to make a lateral cut across the abdomen, followed by a vertical cut into the thorax. Seppuku-committers who fear that they might not accomplish this without the disgrace of wincing had a second standing by to decapitate them with a sword as the act was completed.

'''Seppuku''' is a form of [[suicide]] practiced by [[Japanese]] samurai to avoid being captured or to restore one's [[honor]]. It involves using a samurai sword to make a lateral cut across the abdomen, followed by a vertical cut into the thorax. Seppuku-committers who fear that they might not accomplish this without the disgrace of wincing had a second standing by to decapitate them with a sword as the act was completed.

In recent years the most notable person to suicide in this manner was the novelist and ultra-nationalist [[Yukio Mishima]], who chose seppuku after a failed comic-opera coup, in which he had kidnapped the Japanese Minister of Defence.

In recent years the most notable person to suicide in this manner was the novelist and ultra-nationalist [[Yukio Mishima]], who chose seppuku after a failed comic-opera coup, in which he had kidnapped the Japanese Minister of Defence.