I will be looking into the traditions Japanese families hold for the death of a family member by using the Long article. Long goes into depths about the modernization of the Japanese traditions when dealing with the death of a family member. He states that a lot of the modernization in traditions has to do with the more prevalent use of western and modern medicine. Before dealing with the modernization of the Japanese culture around death, it is important to first understand what traditions are held involving death.

            Like the rest of the culture in Japan, many of the traditions come from a Buddhist background. From a wide perspective, when a person dies the body is sent to a temple, there is a wake, then followed by a funeral. What makes the Japanese culture so different is the details that go into honoring the deceased. Once the person has passed on, the eldest son is in charge of arranging all of the details for the procession of their death. Water is put on deceased’s lips to represent the ceremony called the “water of the last moment” (“Asian, n.d.). The day at which the funeral and wake are on is also a very important choice. Some days are very well known for weddings and should be avoided on having a funeral on those days. A knife may be placed on the chest of the deceased to ward off any impure or unfriendly spirits. Another important part of the Buddhist traditions is how the body is dressed, and what is placed within the casket with them. Men are traditionally dressed in suits while women are dressed in a kimono. When placed within the casket, the body is rested with six coins for “crossing of the River of Three Crossings,” within the afterlife (“Asian”, n.d.). The body is placed on the alter for the wake, with the head facing either to the north or the west which is custom in Buddhism.

            The wake and the funeral are both performed by a Buddhist priest. The priest performs different ceremonies and chants that are custom to Buddhism. The most unique trait that is done during the ceremony happens at the funeral. The priest consults with the family, and depending on how much the family can afford, the priest chooses a new name for the deceased. The more money that can be provided, the more unique the name will be. The new name is how the deceased will be called in the afterlife (“Asian”, n.d.).  The name is sought after to be unique and not a common name so that way it is not accidentally said and doesn’t bring the spirit back. Another unique characteristic within the funeral is after the body is cremated. The family picks through the ashes and places any remaining bones in the urn, starting with the bones of the feet as to make sure the family member is not upside down within the urn (“Asian”, n.d.).

            Now, with all those traditions and rituals, comes a great cost. Japanese funerals are one of the most expensive types of funerals to have. Traditionally the average funeral cost is over 3 million yen, which is almost 28,000$ in US currency (Pulvers, 2006). To give some perspective, the average funeral cost in the US is about 8,000$. With there being smaller families in Japanese cultures today there has been a shift from a big traditional ceremony, to one that can be held within the sanctities of their homes (Pulvers, 2006). It is also much more cost effective. With the push for modern medicine, there are also a lot of costs associated with medical bills. With the culture changing from a family oriented group to a more individualistic and modernized group, it is also changing the traditions of how to deal with death.

Pulvers, R. (2006, November 26). Dealing with death the Japanese ways. Retrieved July 19, 2019, from https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2006/11/26/commentary/dealing-with-death-the-japanese-ways/#.XTHRPZNKhsM

Asian Funeral Traditions. (n.d.). Retrieved July 19, 2019, from http://thefuneralsource.org/trad140205.html