Hara-Kari

The Japanese Embassy in Paris waxed exceedingly indignant over a report that the death of Prince Narihisa Kitashirakawa, who was recently killed in an automobile accident in France, necessitated some Japanese noble committing hara-kari --suicide. The late Prince was a brother-in-law of the Mikado, and, as the Councellor of the Embassy explained, the ancient rite of hara-kari is carried out by the Samurais only in the event of the death of the Mikado; lesser members of the royal family do not receive such homage. On April 29, 1909, Prince Kitashirakawa married the Mikado's second sister, Princess Fusako.