In former times, if a Japanese person committed hara-kiri, they killed themselves by cutting their own stomach open, in order to avoid dishonour.
Synonyms: ritual suicide, suicide, seppuku More Synonyms of hara-kiri
hara-kiri in British English
(ˌhærəˈkɪrɪ) or hari-kari (ˌhærɪˈkɑːrɪ)
noun
(formerly, in Japan) ritual suicide by disembowelment with a sword when disgraced or under sentence of death
Also called: seppuku
Word origin
C19: from Japanese taboo slang, from hara belly + kiri cutting
hara-kiri in American English
(ˈhɑrəˈkɪri; ˈhærəˈkɪri; popularly, ˈhɛriˈkɛri)
noun
ritual suicide by cutting the abdomen: it is called seppuku by the Japanese, and was practiced by high-ranking Japanese of the military class in lieu of execution or to avoid disgrace