RetireJapan

Hi everyone, I have just retired and I am now in the process of getting my affairs in order. As a key part of that process, I would like to preplan and prepay funerals for myself and my partner. A dark topic, perhaps, but something I want to get settled in order to spare surviving relatives any trouble. Can anybody give me advice about how to go about this? I greatly appreciate any pointers. Thank you.

Others may have more detailed information but I had a Japanese in-law pass recently and he had done a lot of the planning years ago. This is just my recollection as an observer.

(1) Morgue (安置所): Unsure if he had decided this in advance.

(2) Crematorium (火葬場). He may have had the crematorium decided in advance but his family was very involved in this part as they need to schedule it and potentially front the costs for it. After the decedents death their bank accounts may be frozen until the death certificate is secured and provided to the bank. If you are in the Tokyo areas the crematoriums are very busy and there will be various options depending on what type of service you want (e.g., quick service, or a longer more private one in a separate wing).

(3) Cemetery: My relative was Buddhist and had donated a fair bit of cash to his temple and secured a plot there with a headstone. The urn is then placed inside and sealed with a stone block. I imagine he had a choice in terms of location of the plot, type of headstone, etc.

You can search 終活 for more detailed if you can read Japanese or just use a translator app.

and had donated a fair bit of cash to his temple

Ah, just like the Lord would have wanted!

Just to piggy back on this, is a funeral involving a crematorium required by law in Japan?
I have a plot of land and would be happy to be doused in gasoline, burned, then scattered on that land.
I have the beer and meat fund already in place for friends and family.
Is this possible?

My local Ceremony Hall recently distributed a Flier for a Funeral Consultation Service; go and discuss all things funeral in preparation. I think they were even offering, as part of that, general consultation on pre-paid funeral services, estate planning, will, inheritance tax, and so on.

I guess any Ceremony Hall would offer a similar service, it being their living and all..

Roger Van Zant wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 5:50 am I have a plot of land and would be happy to be doused in gasoline, burned, then scattered on that land.
I have the beer and meat fund already in place for friends and family.

Hmm, if you are going to be burned on your backyard, maybe that meat fund wouldn't be necessary.

Too dark? Whoops

From what I have experienced, the crematoriums are using some insane heat to burn the body. It's like jet engine level heat.
I don't think gasoline and a bic will be enough to do the job.

cocacola wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 9:43 am...
From what I have experienced, the crematoriums are using some insane heat to burn the body. It's like jet engine level heat.
...

I have a cobalt-chromium artificial hip, and that stuff is also used in jet engines. A few bits of titanium, too, with an even higher melting point.

I've wondered how that stuff would survive (or not) a cremation. And it might retain heat afterwards, more than remaining bones--maybe a little dangerous?

captainspoke wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 1:02 pm

cocacola wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 9:43 am...
From what I have experienced, the crematoriums are using some insane heat to burn the body. It's like jet engine level heat.
...

I have a cobalt-chromium artificial hip, and that stuff is also used in jet engines. A few bits of titanium, too, with an even higher melting point.

I've wondered how that stuff would survive (or not) a cremation. And it might retain heat afterwards, more than remaining bones--maybe a little dangerous?

Your local authority may well be more than happy to monetize high-value material you no longer require: 火葬場「遺灰」から金プラ　自治体が「換金」の是非

CluelessToshika wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 1:42 pm
Your local authority may well be more than happy to monetize high-value material you no longer require: 火葬場「遺灰」から金プラ　自治体が「換金」の是非

So I saw it say Kyoto city is in a precarious financial situation which for some reason surprised me. (But my anxiety levels mean I’m easily surprised. I actually leapt from a chair a few weeks ago. I was basically a cartoon mouse away from screaming “Thomas”. But I digress.)

So yeah. Kyoto City is up a certain creek without a paddle. Couldn’t be bothered to find something more recent but I can’t imagine the situation has improved from 2022.

https://www.mdn.gov.mm/en/kyoto-citys-b ... onsible-it

Imagine all the potential tax revenue lost when people donate to shrines to get a magically long name and a seat next to cloud Santa or whoever.
Or the burden a gajilion tourists place on infra just to throw tax exempt yen into temple fountains. (I wonder if there is a global ranking of most profitable fountain and if it’s Trevi.)

novalis wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 12:51 am Hi everyone, I have just retired and I am now in the process of getting my affairs in order. As a key part of that process, I would like to preplan and prepay funerals for myself and my partner. A dark topic, perhaps, but something I want to get settled in order to spare surviving relatives any trouble. Can anybody give me advice about how to go about this? I greatly appreciate any pointers. Thank you.

This is becoming really popular (?) in Japan. It is called 終活 in Japanese I believe and there are books and magazines about it. I would start there.

My impression is that you can more or less pay what you want, and get the ceremony (or lack of it) you want.

Personally I am inclined to just have a get together for family and friends/wake. Renting one of the funeral halls might be the easiest way to do this, but maybe not the cheapest option (although the space is getting very competitive now).

captainspoke wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 1:02 pm I've wondered how that stuff would survive (or not) a cremation. And it might retain heat afterwards, more than remaining bones--maybe a little dangerous?

My relative had had several back surgeries and the (surprisingly large) screws from those had survived the cremation.