The ideal samurai was supposed to follow an unwritten code of conduct, later formalized as Bushidō, which held bravery, honour, and personal loyalty above life itself; ritual suicide by disembowelment (seppuku) was institutionalized as a respected alternative to dishonour or defeat. The proper method for committing the act was to plunge a short sword into the left side of the abdomen, draw the blade laterally across to the right, and then turn it upward.
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