A stunning series of vintage photographs show the life of Japanese samurai 130 years ago. Among the pictures there are those that depict the hara-kiri ritual, aka seppuku. It was used by warriors who wanted to die retaining their honor, either voluntarily, or when they were captured by the enemy. The ceremonial bowel release was actually part of a more complex ritual and was performed in front of spectators. In one of the pictures, a young samurai pierces his stomach with a katana.
Warriors are watching the hara-kiri of a samurai in white.
Samurai emerged during the Heian period around 710 AD with the goal of subjugating local people in the Tohoku region of northern Honshu. Over time, they grew more powerful and became the military elite in Japan. They were the ruling class from the 12th to the 19th century.
A samurai makes himself hara-kiri, or seppuku, - ritual of suicide by releasing the intestines.
The samurai followed a Confucian-influenced code known as bushido, literally "the way of the warrior." The unwritten and unspoken code celebrated modesty, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and honor until death. The rules also called the samurai for heroic courage, fierce defense of family pride and selfless devotion to the master.
A group of samurai in antique armor and weapons, circa 1870.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, there were many warring factions, but later their number decreased. The fearless warriors wore plate armor and a variety of weapons, including a bow and arrow, spears, guns, and of course the samurai sword. However, during the Edo period, peace was maintained, and many samurai became teachers, artists or officials, as the need for mastery of the martial arts lost paramount importance.
Photo taken and colored by Felice Beato: women in a traditional Japanese shop, late 19th century.
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When Emperor Meiji ascended the throne in 1868, he began to abolish the powers of the samurai. He first stripped them of their right to be the only army in Japan, and in 1873 began to form a Western-style conscript army.
One of the first war photographers, the Venetian Felice Beato, took this photograph around 1862.
Samurai became shizoku, allied with another social class under the influence of the Meiji reforms, and the right to wear the katana was lost, as was the right to execute anyone who publicly disrespected the samurai.
A group of samurai, circa 1890. Illustration for the booklet "In Japan: Types, Costumes and Mores".
The term shizoku (unnamed nobility) remained a part of Japanese culture until the end of World War II, but was abandoned in 1947. Despite the fact that at the peak of their heyday, samurai made up no more than 10% of the population of Japan, their influence is still very noticeable in Japanese culture, especially in modern martial arts.
Samurai in traditional dress and shoes blowing into a seashell.
Three Japanese samurai in full gear.
Flamboyant traditional armor and ancient weapons on samurai, circa 1890.