TaeKyon
Perhaps the best text on the Samurai's strange fascination w/ death is the Hakagura...which was I believe a manual of sorts for samurai behaviors. It's interesting really in only understanding how perverse the Bushido and the code of honor really were (something many tend to glorify as some chilvalrous code)...Really, the Samurai were totally emo.
The book you are refering to is called the Hagakure, not Hakagura, it was written by Yamamoto. I have it at homw somewhere...probably in my cupboard. The manual by which samurai folowed was the Bubishi, often called the Samurai Bible.
I know a very good site with the Hagakure online, it has all of the stories within the book itself. It told real stories as examples of the samurai morals.
www.hagakure.go.ro
Have a look at the topics under seppuku TaeKyon, maybe you will learn the truth. Perhaps a more interesting example is that of the 47 Ronin, you can look them up on Wikipedia and it comes up with a great true story! Perhaps if you take the time you will find that what they did was called total dedication, that was why they were so revered and brilliant at fighting, they welcomed death and were not scared, that is why they fought so fiercely!