The most brutal execution method in Japanese history

During the Sengoku (Warring States) and Azuchi-Momoyama periods, which lasted from roughly the mid-15th century to the early 17th century, both the emperor and the shogun lost all authority, with real power left to regional warlords vying for dominance. At that time, Japan basically operated according to prison yard rules. Every samurai with an army wanted to be known as the strongest and meanest to protect their land and family, which required setting an example for anyone who went against them. And when warlords fight real To send the message that they are not to be underestimated, they put down the hammer and reached for the saw.

Description of nokogiribiki in Tokugawa Shogunate Penalty Illustrated Book by Shintaro Fujita (1893) | Wikimedia

What the executioner saw

“nokogilibiki“Saw” simply means “saw,” and as a method of execution, it does exactly what it’s advertised as: killing people with a saw. The practice may have originated during the Heian period (794-1185), but it really became popular in the 1500s. From the beginning, it was a public spectacle, where a person convicted of the most serious crime imaginable (such as killing their master) was literally… “mitigated” by the executioner with a bamboo or metal saw. In the most extreme cases, the process may continue sky.

Over time, the executions of nokogiribiki became increasingly sophisticated, and eventually the process included elements of public humiliation and, more horrifyingly, family involvement. In later execution methods, condemned prisoners were placed in a box with only their heads sticking out, or buried down to their necks. The public – and even family members of the condemned men – were then “encouraged” to take a saw and make small cuts along the neck of the screaming head.

Since the neck is a tight tangle of veins and arteries that, if severed, would result in a quick death and premature conclusion to the execution, we can assume that amateurs were simply making symbolic, superficial cuts that caused more psychological damage than anything else. The actual punishment was administered by an experienced executioner who knew how slowly Sawing off a head while keeping the victim – for no other word, whatever their crime – alive as long as possible.

Oda Nobunaga (1830) by Utakawa Kuniyoshi | | WahooArt.com Wikimedia

Who would be so cruel…of course the Demon King

Oda Nobunaga was Japan’s first great unifier, setting in motion the process of repairing the broken country and bringing stability and prosperity to the country. But because he was the first, he had the toughest job ahead of him, and apparently felt brutality was the most viable option going forward. Nobunaga is not a monster: He is a person who loves tea ceremony, sumo wrestling and Noh drama. He also gave himself a very scary nickname “Demon King “” on the sixth day to mock his devoutly religious opponents. But it’s hard to argue that he didn’t earn that nickname over time.

Apart from Massacred 20,000 peopleNobunaga massacred civilians, including women and children, on Mount Hiei in Kyoto and burned 20,000 people alive at the Nagashima Honganji complex, and was responsible for one of the most notorious cases of “nokogiribiki.” In 1573, Nobunaga was almost assassinated by Zenjubo Sugitani, one of the first snipers (suspected ninjas) in Japanese history, but in the end he only scratched the Demon King. He ran, but not far. according to Trendy industrial machinery The chronicle states: “Sugitani was punished by Nobunaga’s special plan: he was buried up to his shoulders and his head was sawed off. In this way, Nobunaga was relieved of his long-standing anger.”

There were documented cases of “nokogiribiki” before Sugitani’s death, such as Wada Shingoro, who was executed in 1544 for having an affair with a high-ranking maid. He first had his arms sawed off and then beheaded, but this was obviously done quickly, or at least not artificially prolonged. it yes It’s possible that the devil invented a variant of “nokogiribiki” that slowly saws off the head; it meeting It suits him very well.

Executions depicted in Shintaro Fujita’s “Illustrated Book of Punishments of the Tokugawa Shogunate” (1893) | Wikimedia

When suffering is a mercy

Sawing people alive has actually been around since the Edo period (1603-1867), but at some point public opinion began to turn against this slow method of torture to death. This is most likely because the Edo period was a time of peace and prosperity, when people disliked public executions and preferred attention Perfecting the art of cool. Eventually, executioners began to refuse to carry out nokogiribiki sentences, considering them too cruel. Also, it takes up a whole day of their time that they could have spent Read books about prostitutes in Edo (modern Tokyo).

Thus, by the middle to late Edo period, a compromise was reached. People were still put in boxes or buried in the ground, they were still cut up with saws, but it was more of a ritual, a drama, before the actual, relatively humane execution: crucifixion. Unlike Western crucifixion, Japanese variety When the condemned were crucified, they were stabbed so that they would bleed profusely. The final throat slitting may take several hours to put them out of pain, but it’s certainly a less cruel option than nokogiribiki. Still absolutely terrifying, though. almost like no OK A way to take someone else’s life.

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