Suicide by seppuku

, also called , is a form of Japanese ritualistic suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honor, but was also practiced by other Japanese people during the Shōwa era (particularly officers near the end of World War II) to restore honor for themselves or for their families. thumb|Staged seppuku with ritual attire and kaishakunin assistant, 1897 |upright=1.2

thumb|right|250px|A staged photo from the late Edo period of a [[seppuku ceremony. The kaishakunin is standing at the rear with his sword raised and prepared to partially sever the head, cutting through the spinal column, of the person performing seppuku.]] A kaishakunin (, ) is a man appointed to behead an individual who has performed seppuku, Japanese ritual suicide, at the moment of agony. The role played by the kaishakunin is called kaishaku.

genre of poetry

right|250px|thumb|A woodblock print depicting the wife of Onodera Junai, one of the [[forty-seven rōnin. She prepares herself to follow her husband into death.]]