[GODREKR]

Bakumatsu or early Meiji period crucifixion (c. 1865–1868), Yokohama, Japan. A 25-year-old servant, Sokichi, was executed by crucifixion for murdering his employer's son during the course of a robbery. He was affixed by tying, rather than nailing, to a stake with two cross-pieces.


Close Up




Execution ground (notice crucifixion in background)










Cleaning up after Crucifixion












Water crucifixion


Felice A. Beato, photographer (ca. 1833–ca. 1909), staged a studio portrait of a nameless executioner with sword raised ready to decapitate a criminal. The scene is imaginary but draws from a real incident. Decapitation, Murray’s caption explains, is the most common form of capital punishment. The background view of serenely colored mountains is “representative of the execution ground” outside Yokohama where the “notorious” Shimidzu Seiji was executed in 1868 for murdering two British officers, Major Baldwin and Lieutenant Bird, four years earlier.

From Midshipman McCausland's Diary(1869 - 1870):

"The second day after we arrived I walked out to the execution ground about one and a half miles from Yokohama. It is a small plain about 100 yards square in the middle of a copse of fir trees. When I visited it there were about 20 skeletons of men who had been strangled for various crimes and one fresh body which the dogs were eating."

Crucifixion was introduced into Japan during the Sengoku period (1467–1573), after a 350-year period with no capital punishment. It is believed to have been suggested to the Japanese by the introduction of Christianity into the region. Known in Japanese as haritsuke, crucifixion was used in Japan before and during the Tokugawa Shogunate. Several related crucifixion techniques were used. Petra Schmidt, in "Capital Punishment in Japan", writes:

Execution by crucifixion included, first of all, hikimawashi (i.e, being paraded about town on horseback); then the unfortunate was tied to a cross made from one vertical and two horizontal poles. The cross was raised, the convict speared several times from two sides, and eventually killed with a final thrust through the throat. The corpse was left on the cross for three days. If one condemned to crucifixion died in prison, his body was pickled and the punishment executed on the dead body. Under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the great 16th century unifiers, crucifixion upside down (i.e, sakasaharitsuke) was frequently used. Water crucifixion (mizuharitsuke) awaited mostly Christians: a cross was raised at low tide; when the high tide came, the convict was submerged under water up to the head, prolonging death for many days.

In 1597 twenty-six Christians were nailed to crosses at Nagasaki, Japan. Among those executed were Saints Paulo Miki, Philip of Jesus and Pedro Bautista, a Spanish Franciscan who had worked about ten years in the Philippines. The executions marked the beginning of a long history of persecution of Christianity in Japan, which continued until its decriminalization in 1871.

Crucifixion was used as a punishment for prisoners of war during World War II. Ringer Edwards, an Australian prisoner of war, was crucified for killing cattle, along with two others. He survived 63 hours before being let down.

The historical novel "Silence" by Shusaku Endo gives an account of the 17th century Christian persecutions based upon the oral histories of contemporary Kakure Kirishitan communities.

[murofhsirgo]

i dont see a board under the junk though still cool though..

[Sterlig]

BAD. ASS.

[Silhouette]

Nice post, Interesting to read

[MeMyselfandI]

Cool post

[Kelseecat65]

[Karma]

Originally Posted by murofhsirgo ↗

i dont see a board under the junk though still cool though..

Yeah I noticed that too. Maybe that's why he's sort of folded forward unlike those in the pics who are relatively straight!

[Hugo L.]

Water crucifixion has GOT to suck.

[drusilladimitria]

I never even thought of water crucifixion! That sounds horrible!

[kellyhound]

jesus christ