Seppuku vs Harakiri: Is it Really the Scene of Honorable Suicide?

What is seppuku? What is the difference between seppuku and harakiri? And why did only the samurai commit seppuku? It’s not just a suicide ceremony by cutting the stomach! Seppuku is a ritual for honorable death performed by the samurai in order to preserve their honor or gain back control in the hands of the enemy. Both seppuku and harakiri involve cutting the stomach or disembowelment. The practice dates back to the 12th century when only the samurai and upper-class would use this as a means to atone for crimes or avoid capture. What are the differences between seppuku and harakiri? Seppuku and harakiri essentially have the same meaning. Both refer to the same form of self-execution via disembowelment, and both ostensibly mean “[to] cut the stomach.” The first mention of harakiri in Western literature was in 1846 which underlined self-sacrifice. On the other hand, the first mention of seppuku was in 1882 in a text referring to the punishment of criminals.