自己の尊厳を守り、腹を切り開くことで自己の無実や誠意を証明する究極の厳粛な儀式

Finally, Nitobe concluded by discussing 'Seppuku' (harakiri), the symbolic practice of Bushido, and the education of samurai. 'Seppuku' was not mere barbaric suicide but an extremely solemn ceremony to protect one's honor and prove innocence or sincerity by cutting open the abdomen, where the soul was believed to reside. Although the samurai class has vanished, its noble spirit lives on as 'Yamato-damashii,' remaining a moral heritage that Japan should present proudly to the world.