Description:
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.
Review Quotes:
"The research stimulates ... our intellectual curiosity... one feels enlightened" - Masami Takahashi, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, USA Pacific Affairs: Volume 87, No. 3 - September 2014