It dates back to the Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment called Seppuku, which was considered honorable. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai (warrior class) as part of their bushido (way of the samurai) code of honor. It was used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies and suffer torture, as a form of punishment for samurai who had committed serious crimes, or for other reasons involving feelings of guilt. The actual process involves plunging a short blade into the abdomen and moving the blade from left to right in a cutting motion and is usually part of a larger ritual performed in front of a crowd.