THE EXECUTION BY HARIKIRI IN JAPAN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 107, 26 February 1870, Page 7

THE EXECUTION BY HARIKIRI IN JAPAN.

The Secretary to her Majesty's Legation in Japan sends to the " Cornhill Magazine " a detailed account of the execution by Hari-Kiri (self-im-molation by disembowling), of Taki Zenzaburo, the officer of the Prince of Bizen. He who it was gave the order to fire on the foreign settlement at Hiogo. After describing the preliminary ceremonies, Mr. Whitford proceeds : — After a profound obeisance, Taki Zenzaburo, in a voice which betrayed just so much emotion and hesitation as might be expected from a man who is making a painful confession, but with no sigh ot' fear either in his face or manner, spoke as follows : — " I, aud I alone, unwarrantably gave the order to fire on the foreigners at Koke, and again as they tried to escape. "For this crime I disembowel myself, and I beg you who are present to do me the honour of witnessing the act." Bowing once m,re, the speaker allowed his upper garments to slip down to his- girdle, and remained naked to the waist. Carefully, according to the custom, he tucked his sleeves under his knees to prevent himself from falling backwards, for a noble Japanese gentleman should die falling forwards. Deliberately, with a steady hand, he took the dirk that lay before him ; he looked at it wistfully, almost affectionately, for a moment he seemed to collect his thoughts for the last time, and then, stabbing himself deeply below the waist on the left hand side, he drew it slowly across to the right side, and turning the dirk in the wound, gave a slight cut upwards. During this sickeningly painful operation he never moved a muscle of his face. "When he drew out the dirk he leaned forward and stretched out his neck ; an expression of pain for the first time crossed his face, but he uttered no sound. At that moment the JeciishaJcu, who still crouching by his side, had been keenly watching his every movement, sprang to his feet, poised his sword for a moment in the air ; there was a flash, a heavy, ugly thud, a crashing fall ; with one blow the nead had been severed from the body. A dead silence followed, broken only by the hideous noise of the blood gushing out of the inert heap before us, which but a moment before had been a brave and chivalrous man. It was horrible. The haishaku made a low bow, wiped his sword, and retired from the raised floor ; and the stained dirk was solemnly borne away, a bloody proof of the execution.