A social-historical study of the spread of urban life-styles and changing views of life and death in Japan

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In mid-Meiji, kokubetsu-shiki (farewell ceremony during funerals) and Shinto wedding ceremonies were developed with the aim of improving and civilizing Japanese customs. These were the so-called modern Japanese "rites of passage." Except for those customs relating to the traditional Japanese household, or ie, most religious customs were considered mere superstitions.These modern rites of passage, suitable for the new urban life-style, were closely connected to the ie tem. At first, only intellectuals took part in these rites, but gradually the general populace of large cities also began to participate. Following the period of advanced economic growth in the 1960s, these customs spread throughout the entire country. Prior to this period, "shaso" (company funerals) " were only conducted by large companies, but after the boom, medium and small-sized businesses also held shaso for their founders. A large number of people also began conducting large-scale and expensive ceremonies during this time.Since the 1990s, the increased number of elderly people, along with a decrease in the birth rate have made it difficult to hold funerals based on the old ie system. For example, it used to be very difficult to buy the rights to a grave without descendants. "Shizen-so" (natural funeral : scattering bone-ashes in the ocean or on land) and other new burial customs are now being developed to allow people to choose how they will be buried. Societal pressure to conduct a traditional funeral service has weakened and Japanese funerals are become more private. As a result, views of death and mortuary rites are becoming more diversified.