A new craze for funeral planning is disrupting the way Japanese think and speak about their demise
In Japan, people are traditionally cremated after death and their ashes buried. But in a crowded, ageing and largely secular society, this is becoming trickier and less desirable. Japan’s death rate is soaring—in 2022 the country logged 1.5m deaths, the highest figure since the second world war. Grave sites are running out of space. There are fewer grieving relatives around to perform funeral rites, or to tend graves. As a result, the rituals surrounding death in Japan are changing.
Traditionally, Japanese graves are inherited by a family member, usually the eldest son, who is then charged with paying fees to the temples that manage them. Since the 1990s, as Japan’s birth rate has declined, there has been a growing shortage of such custodians. For many city-dwellers, visiting graves in their or their ancestors’ rural home towns
Japanese families traditionally hold a days-long wake for their dead relative and then the funeral service. But even where the old ways are hewn to, funerals are shrinking for lack of mourners or funds. In Japan, where life expectancy is over 80, many outlive their friends and close relatives. Partly to save money, it has become more normal to dispense with formalities such as lavish funeral altars and decorations. “The scale of one death has become smaller and smaller,” says Ms Inoue.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
There’s a plant even worse than Japanese knotweed & it gives third-degree burnsPEOPLE going for walks in the woods should watch out this summer, as many have pointed out that there’s a dangerous plant that we all need to keep an eye out for. While many are aware of fast…
Read more »
Iniesta breaks down in tears as he confirms Vissel Kobe exit and reveals future plansSpain Legend Andres Iniesta has confirmed he is leaving Japanese club Vissel Kobe but chas no plans to retire. The 39-year-old, who has spent five years at the J-League outfit, admitted his decisio…
Read more »
Jarno Trulli hopes son Enzo can race in Japan long-termEx-Formula 1 driver Jarno Trulli says he hopes his son Enzo can go on to have a successful career in Japanese racing after embarking on his first season in Super Formula Lights.
Read more »
Nintendo sends Valve DMCA notice to block Steam release of Wii emulator DolphinWes has been covering games and hardware for more than 10 years, first at tech sites like The Wirecutter and Tested before joining the PC Gamer team in 2014. Wes plays a little bit of everything, but he'll always jump at the chance to cover emulation and Japanese games.\n\nWhen he's not obsessively optimizing and re-optimizing a tangle of conveyor belts in Satisfactory (it's really becoming a problem), he's probably playing a 20-year-old Final Fantasy or some opaque ASCII roguelike. With a focus on writing and editing features, he seeks out personal stories and in-depth histories from the corners of PC gaming and its niche communities. 50% pizza by volume (deep dish, to be specific).
Read more »
Clinical trials are vital to science, yet researchers keep moving the goalpostsClinical trials are vital to science, yet researchers keep moving the goalposts 📨 Read StuartJRitchie's latest newsletter
Read more »
Why are corporate retreats so extravagant?Whisky tastings, sunrise yoga, mountain-biking in Norway, skidding up a glacier in Alberta, singing “Kumbaya” around a campfire. Companies’ summer camps have gotten unnecessarily creative
Read more »