These days, over 99% of people in Japan are cremated. When did this become common practice? What happens when someone living here wants to be buried, or when religion doesn’t allow for cremation? Let’s deep dive into Japan’s funeral and burial customs, Japan’s Muslim population, and more.
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Frankie - @franklinthewoman
Cheyenne - @lostwithlow
Words mentioned/useful words:
墓石 hakaishi - gravestone
遺影 iei - portrait of a deceased person
葬式 soushiki - funeral
お通夜 otsuya - wake
告別式 kokubetsushiki - funeral service
戒名 kaimyou - Buddhist name one is given after death
香典 kouden - condoleance gift brought to a funeral
骨揚げ kotsuage - gathering up the ashes of the deceased
直葬 chokuso - direct cremation
墓場 hakaba - cemetery
墓参り hakamairi - visiting a grave
諺 kotowaza
References/sources:
Japan’s Evolving Funeral Business
https://www.nippon.com/en/behind/l00144/
How the Spider Lily Got Its Death Flower Reputation
https://www.lovetoknow.com/home/garden/how-spider-lily-got-its-death-flower-reputation
Cremation history
https://daily.jstor.org/history-japan-cremation/
Japanese Cemeteries: The Traditions of Japanese Burial Sites
https://voyapon.com/japanese-cemeteries-traditions/
Funerals:
https://www.nilsjapan.com/fukuoka-times/honoring-the-departed-understanding-japanese-funeral-customs-and-traditions/
https://www.japan-experience.com/plan-your-trip/to-know/understanding-japan/japanese-funerals
Memorial service
https://www.shoryuzan-kongoji.jp/buddhistservice/en.html#:~:text=It%20is%20derived%20from%20the,24th%20year
Janaza (Funeral Ceremony)
https://www.islam.or.jp/en/services/janazza-funeral-ceremony/
Miyagi halts Muslim burial site plan amid pushback
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16039254
Where to Bury the Dead? A Pressing Dilemma for a Diversifying Japan
https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/d01085/
Muslims living in Japan face difficulties burying the dead
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14608984
Funeral costs in the US:
https://titancasket.com/blogs/funeral-guides-and-more/funerals-cost-and-how-to-save?srsltid=AfmBOopS_Lb_IbHk-843DAKw684SIicbbmmQZPwJANczpuPIUX8io9-I
Japan's growing Muslim population exposes gaps in support
https://asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/japan-immigration/japan-s-growing-muslim-population-exposes-gaps-in-support
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
https://ocme.dc.gov/service/public-dispositions
Grave Friends and Automated Tombs: "Being Dead: Otherwise" Examines Emerging Burial Practices in Japan
https://culturalanthropology.duke.edu/news/grave-friends-and-automated-tombs-being-dead-otherwise-examines-emerging-burial-practices
Time stamps
00:00 how we chose the topic/bad Japanese tourists
06:25 when did cremation become common?
09:30 what happens at Japanese funerals
21:27 average costs of a funeral
29:26 spider lilies and death
32:28 funeral photos
36:17 Obon, visiting graves, memorials
42:37 Japan’s Muslim population and cemeteries
46:26 alternative burial/cremation options
50:01 final thoughts
53:36 Cheyenne’s Osaka life is finished
