I picked up the latest issue of The Believer. They have a really interesting article called "Yukio Mishima and the Dream of the Holy Explosion." Mishima was a Japanese author who created a personal mini-army called the Shield Society. He used this group to take over a military academy, make a speech stating that Japan needed to become the military power it once was, and then committed ritual suicide. The article looks at Mishima's actions in relation to suicide bombers and how the two motivations are related.
And if this part of Mishima's life interests you, check out "Mishima -- A Life in Four Chapters." It's a film by Paul Schrader, the guy who wrote "Taxi Driver." It's not a perfect film, but it's very good.