End of Life Funeral Preparation On The Rise In Japan

Above, a traditional-style Japanese cemetery in Niigata. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With a rapidly aging population, Japan's funeral industry is "extremely active" these days. Japan's elderly are planning their own funeral preparations.

According to an article in RT.com, Japan's population is expected to shrink by over 30 million over the next 50 years, but funeral industry-related businesses quadrupled between 2000 and 2013.

The article states:

Trying out a coffin, posing for a tombstone photo, and simulating the scattering of one's own ashes into the ocean: Japan’s elderly are taking funeral preparations into their own hands, with ‘end of life’ preparations gaining popularity in the country.

The article includes some innovative tombs now available for "occupancy" in Tokyo. Included are mult-storey, vault-style interactive graveyards. These just may become the next big thing in Japanese tourist attractions.

I bet you're just "dying" to read the article, so go here. There's also plenty of photos.