This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Abroad from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

The whole “death” thing is so over here in Japan. Not the act of dying itself, you understand, there’s more of that than ever, what with Japan’s aging population and all -- It’s the business that’s on its last legs. Fewer and fewer Japanese are springing for the elaborate gravestone markers that have been in vogue for centuries, opting instead for a simple pine box or cremation and the scattering of ashes at sea. Or under a cherry tree at a cost of roughly one eighth the typical sixteen-thousand dollars for the average tomb. But it’s not just about the money, it’s about respect. Japan’s dwindling birthrate has elders worried about a lack of descendants to visit and care for a grave, and abandoned monuments run the risk of being reclaimed or destroyed. With the decline in the market continuing, it’s safe to say the reports of the “death of the death biz” have not been greatly exaggerated.

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.