Jigai

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The wife of Onodera Junai, one of the Forty-seven Ronin, prepares for her suicide.

Jigai (自害) was a traditional method of ritual suicide for women in Japan. Although the term literally means "self damage" and in principle can refer to suicide in general, in practice it normally refers to the ritual suicide of women by the cutting of the jugular vein with a tantō (6-12 inch knife) or kaiken (6 inch knife). Often, they would be hidden prior within the sash of their kimono.

Jigai is the female equivalent of seppuku or hara-kiri, the ritual stomach-cutting suicide practiced by Japanese men. However, unlike seppuku, jigai could be performed without assistance. Since the severing of the jugular vein brought rapid death there was no need for beheading. Although men were expected to stoically bear the extreme pain associated with seppuku, the women were not. Further, this would cause minimum disfigurement of the body.

Before committing jigai, a woman would often tie her ankles together so her body would be found in a dignified pose, despite the convulsions of death. The act was often done to preserve one's honor if a military defeat was imminent, i.e. to prevent rape. Invading armies would often enter homes to find the lady of the house seated alone, facing away from the door. On approaching her, they would find that she had quietly ended her life long before they reached her.