Vintage Japanese Movie Harakiri Poster 1962. Harakiri is a 1962 Japanese jidaigeki drama film directed by Masaki Kobayashi. The story takes place between 1619 and 1630 during the Edo period and the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. It tells the story of HanshirÅ Tsugumo, a warrior without a lord. At the time, it was common for masterless samurai, or rÅnin, to request to commit seppuku (harakiri) in the palace courtyard in the hope of receiving alms from the remaining feudal lords. The film continues to receive critical acclaim, often considered one of the best samurai pictures ever made. Measures 28"x25"