"Hara-Kiri" and "Seppuku."

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1111, 5 October 1904, Page 2

"Hara-Kiri" and "Seppuku."

A vast amount of misconception prevails in Europe concerning what is vulgarly toruied " hara»kiri," This term is novor used by any other than illiterate persons in Japan. Among tho oducated classes tho torm omployed is " Soppuku." It is wrong to Bupposo, says a correspondent of tho Morning Post, that Japanoso soldiers and sailors are prono to throw away thoir lives vainly, "Soppuku," in miciont times, was an honourable doath, but it was only resorted to in oxtromo circumstances. As the Japanoso provorb puis it, "Shi wa yasushi "—" Life is difficult, death is easy." For any person to commit suicido nioroly i;s a way out of a difficulty waj csteemod, and is still, a cowardly act, To tako ono's lifo is easy enough as a moans of procuring rolief from trouble, but to livo on, dospiio diflicullies, being n hardor matter, is tho more creditable, and this is tho moaning to bo attached to tho proverb, which has quite as much forco to-day among Japanoso as it over had. Tho causo of so many soldiers and sailors—tako tho caso of tho Km-Shin-Mam as an cxmnplo—preferring death to capture was something widely difToront from that which has boon assisnod, Tho peoplo of Japan at large, soldiers and sailors included, hnJ henrd so much of tho Russian atrocities at Blagovoslohonslt, of tho Russian ireatmont of the Ohineso at tholimoof the Boxor Iroublos, mid of Genorul Mitchcnko's famous utloranco that tho Russians had" no ropes, but anus," Significant of tho show shrift that would bo givon to captives; but tho prospocts of falling idivo into Russian hands cauio in reality to bo regarded as far worse than death, it was the firm belief that barbarous troalmont should be moted nut to thoiu that loci so many, despite tho injunction crmvwod in the provorb, to shoot or stab themselves wiicti o.iptiiro was inevitable. Cases of" scppnku'' wore extremely rare, and cases of ordinary suicido, though moro frequont, wero tho expression ot a widespread conviction that only iu this way could an ignominom oxiitenoe be avoided. '