Back Inside General Mashita's Office

Shortly after re-entering the General's office, Mishima committed seppuku(ritual suicide) or hari-kari as it is often called. Mishima said to Morita after he had first cut his stomach open "Do not leave me in agony too long". Morita then made his first attempt to behead Mishima, but as he swung the sword, Mishima fell forward and Morita hit the carpet of the General's office, cutting Mishima across the back and shoulders. Morita tried again to behead Mishima, but he hit his body and not his neck giving Mishima a severe wound to his body. Once again Morita swung his sword. This time he struck Mishima's neck, but he didn't cut his neck completely.Furu-Koga took the sword from Morita and beheaded Mishima with one blow. After Mishima was beheaded, Morita tried to commit seppuku as well, but he was too weak after trying to behead Mishima. Morita then signaled to Furu-Koga to behead him. Furu-Koga then beheaded Morita with one stroke of his sword.

Furu-Koga then untied General Mashita. One of the students told the General that no one else would commit suicide. He said that Mishima had ordered them not to kill themselves, so that they could hand the General over safely to the authorities that were present at the scene. Finally the three remaining students then escorted the General out of his office and promptly surrendered to the Japanese police.

At 12:23 PM the police doctors declared Yukio Mishima and Masakatsu Morita had died as a result of hari-kari (seppuku).