Refers to the act of cutting off someone's head, especially as a form of execution in historical contexts.
In the Edo period, decapitation was one of the punishments.
打ち首 is the traditional Japanese term for execution by beheading, especially in the context of Edo-period punishment, while 斬首 is a more general, Sino-Japanese term used across historical and modern contexts.
beheading and head display
Standard kanji spelling.
Variant spelling without okurigana.
Rarely used kanji form.
Compound of 打ち (uchi, 'striking') + 首 (kubi, 'neck'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term straightforwardly refers to striking the neck to sever the head.