Kanowitz,+Megan

=Suicide in Japanese Culture =

Overview


Suicide in Japanese Culture has been common for many centuries. The first recorded act of ritual suicide in Japan was recorded in the early twelfth century. While suicide in general was common amongst the Japanese, seppuku, or ritual suicide was very routine among the higher, and samurai classes of Japan. The Japanese culture views suicide much differently than western culture. While westerners are faced with the moral and religious stigmas that surround the act of taking one's own life, Japanese culture accounts for several different reasons behind the act. In short, many Japanese individuals, even today, would much rather take their own lives than to bring dishonor or humiliation to themselves or, more importantly, their families. Unlike, areas of the world where Christianity is prevalent, Japan has no legal ramifications for suicide, if success is not achieved. However, the practice of Seppuku has been outlawed. While modern Japan is in no way supportive of Suicide, they can be described as tolerant.

Seppuku 切腹
media type="youtube" key="SVE7aqrva0g" height="312" width="512" align="left" Initially reserved for the Samurai class in ancient Japan, the ritual suicide known as Seppuku is rich in strict traditions and history. In order to preserve his honor if he was close to failing at the hands of his enemies, a samurai would partake in Seppuku. In most circumstances, the samurai would need to obtain permission from his superior before beginning the ritual. As Samurai culture developed and their code, or Bushido, grew more in depth some Samurai men could be ordered to commit seppuku as an alternative for capital punishment of other sorts. The Seppuku ceremony was highly coordinated and precise, as executing this act was a final attempt to preserve a samurai's honor. The ceremony began with the Samurai, dressed in ceremonial attire, writing a death poem. A Japanese death poem was highly traditional and was a symbolic means for the individual to come to terms with death. The poem often reflected the individuals view of life, Zen, and nature. The samurai would then take his short sword, insert it into his abdomen and make one lateral cut from left to right. He would then make a vertical incision up the abdomen. In the mean time, his second would be waiting with a sharpened sword. As soon as the second incision was made, the second would quickly decapitate the samurai with the exception of a small flap of skin at the front. of the throat. Seppuku as a form of capitol punishment was outlawed in 1873. However, voluntary seppuku has never formally been outlawed, it is no longer revered as a highly dignified ceremony.

Suicide in Modern Japan
While ritual suicide is no longer a major factor in Japanese culture, Japan currently has suicide rates which top the US and UK combined. The relationship between modern Japanese suicide and Seppuku is strong in that while the methods may be different, the primary cause is still to retain honor for one's family and them self. As the worlds current economy is in a far from stable condition, suicide rates have continued increased dramatically. In the Aokigahara forest that lies at the base of Mount Fuji, is internationally know for its extremely high suicide count. The only place on earth that experiences more suicide is San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. The dense woods that make up the forest are swept annually for bodies and finds 75-100 bodies a year. This total is only a fraction of those who go missing in the area. In an attempt to prevent suicide numbers from rising even higher, the Japanese Government has begun to campaign the alternatives to suicide by placing signs throughout the forest as well as posting security cameras at the entrances to the forest. In an effort to prevent suicide from the beginning, the government is also working to educate citizens through the school system and through media. Their goal is to reduce suicide rates by 20% in 2016.

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