Long Burdened by Costly Funerals, Japan Embraces Simple Goodbyes
More families are opting for smaller ceremonies since the pandemic
Even before a $12 million state funeral for the slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prompted a public outcry, the Japanese have long grumbled about funeral costs, the highest in the world. Now, an increasing number of grieving families are opting for low-key send-offs, with the pandemic providing an extra reason to avoid large ceremonies.
Average spending per funeral in the past year was 1.1 million yen ($7,725), down 40% from an earlier, pre-Covid survey, according to Kamakura Shinsho Ltd., an online information service specializing in elderly care, funerals and graves. That’s still around a quarter of the average annual salary and doesn’t cover extra costs such as offerings to Buddhist monks. Including additional expenses, Japanese funerals cost around 3 million yen before the pandemic, around three to four times what’s spent in the US and Europe, according a 2020 survey by U.K.-based insurance provider SunLife Ltd.