also: はっつけ
execution by tying to a post and spearing
Historical Japanese punishment: the victim was tied to a post and stabbed with spears. This is the original meaning, distinct from Western crucifixion.
In the Edo period, haritsuke was carried out as a public execution.
Haritsuke is a Japanese punishment different from Christian crucifixion.
Christian context; refers to crucifixion as a method of execution. Usually written in kana as はりつけ.
See also: 磔刑 (たっけい)
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is recorded in the Bible.
A painting of the crucifixion was displayed on the church wall.
cross (for crucifixion)
upside-down crucifixion
Standard kanji form for the historical execution method. Also used for crucifixion, though kana is more common for that sense.
Kana spelling is usual for the Christian crucifixion sense.
Explicitly adds 刑 (punishment). Rare; mostly seen in historical or explanatory contexts.
Alternate reading restricted to 磔. Rare and possibly dialectal or archaic.
Originally referred to a Japanese form of capital punishment where the condemned was tied to a post and speared. The kanji 磔 means 'to tear apart' or 'dismember', reflecting the brutal nature of the execution. The reading はりつけ likely derives from 張り付け (pinning/stretching and attaching). The Christian sense of crucifixion is a later semantic extension.