"Harakiri", "Seppuku" symbolizes the pride of Japanese people

In the edo period (years 1600-1868), unagi splitting procedure differs by region. People Kansai (Osaka and surrounding area) cut from the belly unagi (o hara saku / hara o kiri), while the Kanto (Tokyo and surrounding areas) split from the back of unagi (senaka o saku). Why split the course technical question? Turns out there was his story.
Osaka people are businessmen. Splitting of the stomach, is like opening your heart, when speaking businessman with his partners. A honesty is number one, allows for a smooth sale and purchase. The people of Tokyo, becaouse mostly samurai (Bushi), o hara kiri means splitting the stomach itself dg sword (death). So the word suicide comes from cut pieces of unagi , apparently. The samurai himself used the term to mean the same seppuku harakiri. In a letter , both use the same two kanji characters, just the opposite position.

Among the samurai, there is a special ritual called seppuku (切腹) or now more identified with the word harakiri. Ritual seppuku itself if etymologically means "ripped abdomen." Initially, the ritual of seppuku is only done by the samurai. How to choose a samurai would commit seppuku to prove loyalty to their leader. In addition, they also will do the same thing when he was defeated in a battle / war. According to them, death is better than having to bear the embarrassment caused by the defeat.

The procedure was not done haphazardly seppuku. There are several ways and steps that must be done within reason, or religious rituals. If pre-planned seppuku (not carried out in the middle of the battle of defeat) then seppuku performed before an audience. Previously the samurai would be showered, and dressed completely in white. Then he will start eating his favorite food. After that he will prepare a small sword-like knives called tantou. Usually he would put tantou in front of it or submit it to the person next to them. Before the samurai to commit seppuku, usually they will write a message that will, more like a poem of death. When everything was ready, so he started jabbing tantou into the abdominal (stomach), after the sword stuck, then the stomach should be torn from left to right direction. Perhaps the question arises, why should the stomach that was stabbed? Why not the other parts like the chest or neck? Hmmm ... to my knowledge, I think this is caused by people's understanding of ancient Japan who thinks that the stomach as an energy source. In the bowels of the human soul is saved. Therefore, by doing the cutting / stabbing in the abdomen, is expected in the energy released and the soul can get out of the body, which eventually will hasten death.

That ritual seppuku samurai who carried the olden times. But now, the philosophy of seppuku in Japanese society has begun to shift. If the first, seppuku is closely associated with the failure of a person, whereas now there is no direct relationship between learning from failure with suicide rates that occurred in Japan.