Foundations for Japanese Views of Honor

This post is mainly going to be a run-down of where Japan's sense of honor and culture stem from, and how that culture has lasted throughout the years. A small update before we get to more this week


In all of East Asia, throughout all time, there has never been a country that has been as militarized as Japan for so long. From the late 12th century all the way up to the 19th Japan had been ruled by the military class of the samurai. This military rule lead to a complex and traditional way of doing things, all based around the honor of the samurai and their rule. Since honor was at the core of the cultural identity of the military class, and the military class ruled Japan, it is obvious that that would permeate into traditional Japanese ways of life, becoming a staple of how they lived, and in some ways are still living today.

One such observer of Japanese culture, Ruth Benedict, labeled Japanese moral behavior as "shame culture", where looking bad is akin to death. Modern day Japan has a word very close to English for honor, Meiyo. This word is closely related to several other words that can be found throughout Japanese history, such as na (name), haji (shame), menboku (face), chijoku(dishonor), iiji (pride), and sekentei (how you look to the world). Na and haji have been especially used for a long time as to describe the two sides of the same coin for Japanese samurai, as na was wanted and haji was avoided. On the topic of the shame culture, modern day Japan now has more words for shaming language than honor, which goes to show how the two sides of the same idea can often ebb and flow, and shows how the honor culture has been "tamed".

It is safe to assume that since honor and shame are so closely related, and that if honor is so important in the life of the average samurai and even possibly in the average person, that the threat of shame and dishonor could be great enough to get someone to conform to things that normally would astound an outsider, in one major case, suicide, be it ritualistic or on their own. This is but a short glance at the history of honor, yet gives a reason for honor culture. But what gives the military honor? That is a question for another day.

Source:

Ikegami, Eiko. The Taming of the Samurai. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 1995. Print

Types of Seppuku 

Continuing on with last weeks topic, this week is all about the different types of Seppuku, for there are many more than just one way to preform this ritual.

Ichimonji (One Horizontal Cut)

This was the standard form of seppuku during a time called the Tokugawa period (1603-1867), although it was uncommon leading up to that time. This was just a single cut across the abdomen, and early cases of it were just abandoned attempts at another form called jumonji, which was two cuts. A notable example of ichimonji would be Yakushiji Yoichi, who in a statement about his name (ichi, part of his name, was a different reading of the character for "one"), and insisted he do it this way, and left an impact about how seppuku was preformed for years. 

Jumonji (Two Crossed Cuts)

This is the more classical form of seppuku, where there is a horizontal cut made below the navel, and then a vertical cut just above the groin. Oftentimes the first cut would be more shallow, as to prevent the intestines from spilling out too early. Variations of this include kagi-jumonji (cutting downwards from the left side and left side towards the crotch, and then switching hands and cutting up towards the right) and migi-jumonji (a light cut from left to right, then cutting diagonally left back to left nipple).

Hachimonji (Two Upright Cuts)

An nontraditional form of seppuku, based on the tale of a warrior named Kasuya Muneaki, who cut his stomach in the shape of an 8 character in japanese. which is read as "hachi" in Japanese

Sanmonji (Three Horizontal Cuts)

Three cuts are considered legend after the greatest Japanese hero of all time, Yoshitsune preformed seppuku this way. In the rare cases this happens it was advised to begin well below the navel and work up from there. 

Oi-Bara (From The Stomach)

This was used beginning in the 1500s to refer to kaishakus who killed themselves after their masters had killed themselves. A retainer who beheaded his lord could not live with his honor intact, so he made the choice to kill himself. Later years this began to refer to anyone who killed themselves after their lord died. 

Tachi-bara (From Standing)

This was literally seppuku from a standing position, sometimes done against a pillar, and in one particular case the sword got stuck in the body and pillar after death, leaving the body upright. This was mainly done on the battlefield, as it was quick. 

Kama-Bara (Sickle Belly Rip)

This is a cultural phenomenon only found in theatre, as no reported cases of this have ever happened. The story comes from a peasant who wished to commit seppuku, yet had no sword. So he used a sickle. However, he could not bring himself to do it, so he abandoned the idea, yet while walking away he tripped and fell on his sickle. His brother, a samurai, eventually came around and relieved him in the most appropriate manner- beheading

Kage-Bara (Concealed Belly Rip)

This was a form of seppuku meant for dramatic affect, in which the cuts were done before, wrapped in robes, and revealed for dramatic effect.This is mostly from plays, however, there are a few examples of people preforming this, especially when they wanted all eyes on them for the last moments of their deaths. 

Source

Rankin, Andrew. Seppuku: A History of Samurai Suicide. Tokyo, Japan: Kodansha International. 2011. Print