Seppuku

It is now 1877 and I am still here in the Samurai village. I was walking around when I saw a crowd of people gathered around a man on his knees. Suddenly he took a knife and stabbed himself in the stomach. He then formed a triangle in his stomach stretched out his neck and was quickly beheaded. I was astonished; I had never seen such an act in my life. When I asked about this I was told it was the sacred ritual suicide called seppuku. The man that had killed himself had been dishonored and to regain his honor performed the act. It made no sense to me that a man must die to regain his honor but to die a good death seppuku had to be performed. Seppuku is part of bushido, the laws of the Samurai life. It was an honor to be the man to behead the man committing seppuku and it was not uncommon for spectators to watch it take place. Most causes of seppuku were loses in battle and seppuku could be performed in battle. The slicing of the stomach is called hara-kiri which means “stomach-cutting”. The act was very painful and the assistant had to be sure to behead the man with one swipe of his sword. After performing the act of seppuku the man regains his honor and dies a “good death”. Dying a “good death” is extremely important to the Samurai. Though mostly for regaining honor seppuku also is a way to show disagreement with your master. Instead of going through with the order a Samurai would commit seppuku and still die honorably. Though this act is very strange to me I cannot help but to understand what it means to the Samurai. If dying honorably is important to them then this practice must take place. However I was surprised at how the Samurai warriors were so willing to kill themselves to restore their honor. I will not be staying in this village much longer. The war against the rest of Japan is approaching and the Samurai are preparing for battle. It is still amazing to me the discipline and dedication the warriors show to their trades. They seem to have perfected the art of war however their outdated weapons are not likely to be much against the larger and more modern army of Japan. I have seen many different things during my journey however the act of seppuku is defiantly the most interesting. The death of other Samurai warriors seems to be celebrated in this act. To all warriors dying with honor or dying a “good death” seems to be in high importance. Though I will never practice the ways of the Samurai I now know and understand them.

Dying A Good Death

It is 1876 and I am still here observing the way of the Samurai. I have learned a lot but still do not understand completely their way of life. I have met many people who are proud to share with me their ways, but still the Samurai amaze me. The Samurai live for one thing, to protect their emperor. They believe that protecting the emperor is their duty and they do it faithfully. Many Samurai have died serving and were proud to die. To the Samurai dying in battle is a “good death”; a “good death” is an honorable or acceptable way to die. They believe that all Samurai should die a good death, and most would rather die in battle than live. Dying a “good death” is important to the Samurai however most do not understand. When I first arrived here I was one of those people, only recently, after being here for many months, I am starting to understand them. To be a Samurai is a great honor; it is extremely hard and very dangerous but becomes a way of life. The only way to end this life is to die a “good death”. To die otherwise takes away the honor of the previous life. Many Samurai would rather kill themselves in a “good death” than take actions that could take away their honor. In being a Samurai honor is very important and stays with you even after you die. I came to this village after the first battle of this war, although the victory was the Samurai’s many Samurais were lost. Though they died a “good death” most of the women and children have a hard time understanding. They do not share the bushido ways as the warriors do. They know their loved ones death bestowed them with honor but don’t accept it as easily as the other Samurai warriors do. Each battle that they fight in the Samurai know there is a chance of dying, however unlike other soldiers the Samurai are not afraid to die but hope that if they must die it will be in battle. The Samurai warriors can also die a good death by performing Seppuku, a Samurai from of suicide. The ultimate goal of the Samurai is to serve their emperor and die a “good death”. When first becoming a Samurai they receive a sword which is said to be their soul. If a Samurai is to perform Seppuku they are killed with their own sword as a way of keeping their soul. When in battle some Samurai warriors would kill themselves to avoid being taken by the enemy. Being captured was a dishonorable act and resulted in a “bad death”. The Samurai see being captured as dishonorable and because of this they usually do not take prisoners of war. I have been here in the Samurai village for four months now, I am slowly learning the ideas that young children are taught so they too can become Samurai warriors. I find it hard to believe that customs that I barely understand are taught to such young children. When living the life of the Samurai honor comes first and I can see that all around me the Samurai have great honor in what they are doing and what they believe in. A “good death” might seem ridiculous to outsiders but here it is what everyone hopes for to end their life.

Are The Samurai The Savages?

It is 1876 and I have been sent to Japan to observe the way of the Samurai. The Samurai, which means “to serve”, are a well trained army set on fighting against industrialization in Japan. They use old techniques and practice extreme honor to serve for their emperor. When I was sent here I was told the Samurai were savages. However after spending time with them I am beginning to question who the real savages are, the people trying to change their world or the ones trying to protect it. I have seen that the Samurai practice meditation and believe faithfully in their duty to serve the emperor. They believe the emperor is a living god and would give their lives to protect him. When living their daily lives the Samurai act nothing like the savages they are said to be. They allow women freedoms that would not go unpunished back in America. The Samurai are very respectful of their officials and the people around them. When entering a home the Samurai remove their shoes in order to keep things orderly they, I have never seen that be done in America. The Samurai spend most of their time training and perfecting their art. They still use traditional armor and swords. The rest of Japan is changing; the use of newer more powerful weapons is rising. Japan knowing the Samurai have outdated weapons still intend to fight them, surely resulting in a slaughter of the Samurai. Japan also calls on us to supply them with more destructive and powerful weapons such as cannons and machine guns. To call the Samurai savages is hardly fair, what makes them the savages? My time here has made me realize that the Samurai are simply defending what they believe in, what they think is right. People claim that going against the emperor like the Samurai is wrong of them. However if the Samurai’s job is to protect the emperor and believing industrialization is harmful to the emperor then wouldn’t it be wrong not to fight it? The Samurai have had meetings with the emperor trying to stop the change so the war could be stopped. Japan however is set in their road to industrialization and refuses to be slowed down. Not stopping a war against your own countries prized and honored army makes Japan look more like the savages to me. The Samurai go by the code of bushido, which means “way of the warrior”. Bushido is the ethic code that they live by and they follow it completely. Already the young children of the Samurai villages are training to be great warriors. Although the Samurai knew the other army had more powerful weapons they stayed true to their ways and didn’t modernize. The Samurai never question the right thing to do, once they are told they follow through even if it they could lose their life. They believe in karma and meditate in temples in the village. Each person practices a trade that is necessary for village life. The women care for the children and the houses but have more say than the women living in America. The Samurai have been called the savages. They are said to be cruel and merciless warriors. During my visit to their village I have seen the way they live. They show respect and kindness to me, and I see the respect and honor they have for each other. Though they may be some of the best warriors in my visit I have seen nothing that would lead me to call these people savages.