ABSTRACT
This book, based on extensive original research, explores the various ways in which Japanese people think about death and how they approach the process of dying and death. It shows how new forms of funeral ceremonies have been developed by the funeral industry, how traditional grave burial is being replaced in some cases by the scattering of ashes and forest mortuary ritual, and how Japanese thinking on relationships, the value of life, and the afterlife are changing. Throughout, it assesses how these changes reflect changing social structures and social values.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |49 pages
Meaning of life and dying in contemporary Japan
part |57 pages
Professionalization of funerals
chapter |19 pages
Working of funeral homes
part |91 pages
New burial practices in Japan