But in the wake of World War II, Japan underwent another great upheaval. ... the Meiji government put a major nail in the coffins of the samurai class and seppuku by banning the carrying of swords.

Banner image: A scene of seppuku in the 1893 work Tokugawa bakufu keiji zufu (An Illustrated Guide to the Punishments of the Tokugawa Shogunate). White cloth covers tatami, and a sword is placed ...

AMAZING pictures giving a rare insight into Japan’s elegant but deadly Samurai warriors have emerged. The series of photos, revealing life in 1880s Japan, show the ancient swordsmen decked ou… ...

The earliest of the four translated texts, named "The Inner Secrets of Seppuku," dates to the 17th century. "This document contains secret teachings that are traditionally only taught verbally ...