Seppuku is a Japanese ritual in which a person commits suicide. It is often performed to escape conflicts such as capture. This ritual is to performed to show the courage of a samurai even when faced with defeat. In "Patriotism" by Yukio Mishima, lieutenant Takeyama Shinji is a member of the Japanese army. Recently, many soldiers and officers started a mutiny and attacked many homes of the Japanese Prime Minister and conquered parts of Tokyo. Takeyama Shinji was called to deal with these rebels on an early morning. Takeyama has recently gotten married to his wife, Reiko.Reiko understands the risks and events that could occur as a wife of a lieutenant in the Japanese army. She understands that at any moment she could become a widow. When Takeyama Shinji returns from his call to duty, Reiko was relieved to see him alive. Takeyama returns with a dreadful decision to make. He tells his wife that he found out that some of the traitors were his friends, young officers, and members of his unit who used to visit him in his home. Tomorrow morning, he will be the commander of a unit ordered to kill them. Takeyama Shinji wanted to stay loyal to his country but that was a difficult order to follow because he also wanted to stay loyal to his unit. At that moment Takeyama Shinji knew he had to undergo Seppuku. Reiku, loving her husband so much asked him if she could join him in this ritual.
In Japan, suicide is not seen as a bad thing. Suicide is honorable in Japanese culture. Japanese culture also does not have Christian laws prohibiting suicide. This made me think and realize how different cultures all around the world are. Takeyama Shinji did not hesitate and waiver on the idea of suicide. He knew he had to do it and he did not feel bad about it. I asked myself, "isn't he abandoning his king by doing this?" But then i realized that this was the only way Takeyama Shinji was going to escape this conflict. In the long run, I think he took the only option he had and that was to kill himself.
