Seppuku first developed in the 12th century as a means for samurai to achieve an honorable death. Swordsmen performed the ritual to avoid capture following battlefield defeats, but it also functioned as a means of protest and a way of expressing grief over the death of a revered leader.

What is seppuku when and why was it used?

As a samurai practice, seppuku was used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies (and likely be tortured), as a form of capital punishment for samurai who had committed serious offenses, or performed because they had brought shame to themselves.

When was the last seppuku performed?

The last celebrated case of seppuku was in 1970, when Yukio Mishima, a famous writer known for his psychologically violent novels, killed himself in samurai style after he failed to take over a command post to protest Japan's military policies.