Have you ever wondered how different cultures say goodbye to their deceased loved ones? The Japanese culture is unique in the way that they have funerals. In case you’ve never been to a Japanese funeral, here are some facts about the ceremony and rituals associated with it.
Most Japanese funerals don’t involve funeral cars or a procession to the cemetery. Instead, the body of the deceased is cremated on the day of the ceremony. In the crematorium, the family and friends typically gather for a small meal. Once the body is cremated and cooled, the people attending the ceremony pick the small bone fragments from the ash and pass them to each other using chopsticks.
Buddhist monks then conduct the actual funeral ceremony. The ceremony usually follows traditional Buddhist customs. Guests must pay 20,000 yen to the immediate family and they then receive a small gift of thanks. The family then has another meal following the ceremony.
Following the ceremony, the family keeps the urn at their house for 35 days. During that time, they burn incense around the clock. They also have many visitors during this time. The visitors can also burn an incense stick out of respect for the deceased. When the 35 days has passed, the family buries the urn in a Buddhist cemetery.