Seppuku associated with suicide of samurai wives. The term was introduced into English by Lafcadio Hearn in his "Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation", an understanding which has since been translated into Japanese. Joshua S. Mostow notes that Hearn misunderstood the term "jigai" to be the female equivalent of seppuku. The first recorded act of seppuku was performed by Minamoto no Yorimasa during the Battle of Uji in the year 1180. Seppuku was used by warriors to avoid falling into enemy hands, and to attenuate shame and avoid possible torture. Samurai could also be ordered by their "daimyō" (feudal lords) to carry
Mystery of the Samurai Sword the missing tycoon's family for generations, is stolen from an auction gallery in New York, and the boys suspect a connection. One clue leads to another, and danger confronts them constantly on their search for the solution to the puzzle. Who are their enemies? Did the criminals kidnap the missing businessman, or did he hide of his own volition? What is the secret of the stolen samurai sword? Mystery of the Samurai Sword Mystery of the Samurai Sword is the 60th title of the Hardy Boys Mystery Stories, written by Franklin W. Dixon. It was published by Wanderer Books in