Types of Funerals in the World

I've been looking for a burial method that is more natural and returns to the earth, but unfortunately, being in Japan, cremation is almost the only option at the moment (with a small percentage of burials). On the internet, I've seen there are countries in the world where burial is the norm, and more eco-friendly burial methods are beginning to be legalized.

Today I'm sharing with you you what I've found out about what burial options are available in Japan and the world!

Cremation

Born and grew up in Japan, I had taken it for granted that after death, everyone is supposed to be cremated. Japan has the world's No. 1 cremation rate, and more than 99% of funerals here are cremations.

According to PRESIDENT Online, "Cremation rates in the United States are 45%, the United Kingdom 75%, France 34%, Italy 18%, China 49%, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) only 1%," although the number of people choosing cremation varies from country to country. 

Although funerals and burial methods are often related to religion, cremation is on the rise all over the world due to the changing religious views of young people, as well as a shortage of land in urban areas. Cremations cost less than traditional burials in terms of land and money, the problem of carbon dioxide and dioxin emitted during cremation is becoming more serious. (I'll write about this topic in the near future)

Why Cremation is Popular in Japan (My thoughts)

• Cremation is recommended in Buddhism. In Buddhism, there is a strong sense of community and family belonging, with a "danka system" in which the temple the family belongs own the graveyard and organize all the family funerals and memorial services

• Lack of land (especially in city) and there's not enough space available for burial, so cremation was the best option to save space and money

• While cremation is (or was) banned in many foreign countries for religious reasons, I feel that the lack of religious beliefs among the Japanese also affects the ease with which cremation is accepted

• Burial is often opposed by local residents for hygienic reasons, and many city governments prohibit it. Cremation, on the other hand, is favored because of its low risk of infectious diseases, viruses, etc.

Human Composting

Natural Organic Reduction (NOR), also known as human composting, is a method of converting human remains into soil without burning its bodies. It is a modern version of burial with improved hygiene and environment. A body spends several weeks in the special coffin, where it is decomposed with wood chips, straw, and other organic matter and turned into soil.

Human composting has been first legalized in the Washington state in the USA in 2019, followed by Colorado and Oregon, and legislation is underway in several other states as a new funeral option. I believe that human composting will be central to the future of burial!

Mushroom Coffin

There is a startup in the Netherlands that has started a business to speed up the decomposition of corpses by using a live coffin, made of mushroom mycelium. These mushroom coffins turn the dead bodies into compost, and the fungus enriches the soil. According to loop biotech, the mushroom coffins are lined with a soft bed of moss, and the pleasant bed also contributes to the "composting" process. The mycelium is then activated by the groundwater and composted within 45 days, allowing it to become one with nature.

Burial

Countries like China and Korea, cremation had been banned due to Confucianism. However, as the young people has become less religious and the shortage of land have promoted cremation, resulting in a significant increase in the cremation rate. On the other hand, Muslims only accept burials, and Muslims living in Japan are facing the problem of cremation culture in Japan.

Burial is also practiced in the Western countries. In the Christian view of life and death, the deceased is believed to be resurrected and go to heaven, so cremation, in which the body is burned, is prohibited in some places. Italy and France, which are predominantly Catholic, have high rates of burial, while cremation seems to be the major method in the UK. I have to think it has something to do with whether there is enough land, though.

Embalming

In countries where burial is the norm, it is often done to keep the deceased in a form similar to the way they were before their death, although it is not so familiar in Japan. Embalming process involves disinfecting and sterilizing the corpse, cleaning the body, removing the digestive organs and other residual materials, cutting open a part of the body, draining blood and other substances, and injecting preservation fluid.

Check out the interesting and detailed process of embalming👇