Jigai – Suicide Ritual For Wives Of Samurai – Feminine Counterpart Of Seppuku

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - The tradition of suicide goes far back in the history of Japan. It is well-known that Seppuku is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment using a samurai sword.

The wife of Onodera Junai, one of the Forty-seven Ronin, prepares for her suicide; note the legs tied together, a feature of female seppuku to ensure a decent posture in death. Image credit: Utagawa Kuniyoshi - - Public Domain

To a Samurai, Seppuku was also known as harakiri, and it was considered an honorable death. It was much better to commit suicide than to fall into the hands of the enemy or live a life of shame.

The word "seppuku" comes from the words setsu, meaning "to cut," and fuku meaning "abdomen."

A samurai was expected to show reckless courage, fairness, reverence for the gods, and generosity toward those weaker. At the heart of all Samurai, training was the 'Bushido Code,' a strict creed – 'Way of the Warrior.'

Dying an honorable death was judged more important than living a long life.

The right to commit suicide was not reserved to men. Evidence of mass female ritual suicide in Japan exists from the 12th to the 20th centuries. Wives of a samurai have their suicide ritual, called Jigai.

Women learned the practice of Jigai as young children. Jigai was usually practiced by the wives of samurai who had committed Seppuku or by those who had brought dishonor to the family. It was also done by females of the samurai family to preserve one's honor if a military defeat was imminent, for example, if their castle was about to fall, or to prevent rape. A deep slash into the abdomen carried out Jigai. At the end of the Boshin War, the Saigo family alone saw twenty-two women commit Jigai rather than surrender.

In contrast to Seppuku, Jigai could be performed without assistance, which was fundamental for Seppuku.

Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

Updated on January 25, 2024

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Updated on August 20, 2022

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