No guts: Taiwanese man fakes seppuku to win girlfriend's heart
Staff Reporter 2012-12-25 10:42
Yang, left, raises his sword as police watch nervously. (Photo/Chen Yu-hsin)
A Taiwanese man surnamed Yang has tried to regain the heart of his girlfriend by attempting seppuku, the gruesome Japanese ritual suicide performed by slicing open the stomach. His failed act not only made his estranged lover angrier but also violated the law, reports our Chinese-language sister newspaper China Times.
When Yang's girlfriend, surnamed Chen, found photos of another woman on his cell phone, she threatened to break up with him and stopped responding to his calls. Yang went looking for her at her office to plead for forgiveness, but was given a frosty reception.
With no other options arising in Yang's mind, he then drew out a Japanese katana sword, saying he wanted to show his sincerity by killing himself. He called the police to act as witnesses after Chen remained apparently indifferent to the presence of a sword in the office. When the police arrived, they attempted to pacify Yang only to anger him further.
Suddenly, Yang stabbed himself with the sword. The police soon realized however that he had only thrust the sword into the air beside him, and went in for the arrest.
Already annoyed by her boyfriend's behavior, Chen was even more infuriated by his melodrama. As the police carried him away, Yang started to cry, saying, "I love her very much. I didn't cheat on her. This is all a misunderstanding." Yang was later charged with violating the Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act.
