Japanese Funerals
In Japan, funeral procedures adhere strictly to traditional beliefs and customs, unlike Japanese weddings, which have been strongly affected over the years by Western influence. The beliefs and etiquette surrounding the funerary procedure is a splicing of Shinto, Buddhist, and Confucian beliefs. Most Japanese consider themselves as Shinto, Buddhist, or Shinto-Buddhist, yet it is important to the Japanese that the funeral ceremony is approached in the Buddhist practice. The traditional notions of death in Japan are also involved in the funeral process. Traditional Japanese beliefs on death and funeral ceremony:The Japanese people understand that the natural process of death is the final event of life, due to their relationship as a race with Buddhist and Shinto beliefs. According to Kimura, "Zen Buddhist phrases such as "accept death as it is" and "Life-death as one phenomenon" are key motifs integrated into Japanese culture" (1996, 374). True to Buddhist precepts, the Japanese also believe in re-incarnation, or the coming of a next life after one has ended. A Japanese funeral thus marks the end of a human life on earth. Traditionally, the Japanese funeral is a very important ritual practice in Japanese society. The Japan
This is known as "Shiju-ku Nichi", which means, "the forty-ninth day". In some cases, however, the funeral may precede the cremation, in which case the casket may be open and available for viewing during the ceremony. From the evening, family members and close relatives burn incense sticks, (known as 'senko') in front of a specially prepared altar all night long. As is for Western custom, the undertaker is called and friends and relatives are notified. It is considered bad luck by the ostensibly superstitious Japanese to pass food etc. Cash gifts known as 'koden' are given to the deceased's family to help with funeral costs. The ceremony itself thus does not focus on the bereavement of the surviving friends and family, but on the spiritual journey of the deceased person. The amount of money given is relative to the mourner's degree of closeness with the deceased and his/her family. The bones that have been placed in the urn are then pulverized except for the pieces of the skull, which are placed on top of the rest so that the remains of the person are seen to be 'right side up'. A Buddhist service would be conducted on the forty-ninth day to mark the end of the official mourning period. The amount of koden one should give is also influenced by the amount of koden one might have received in similar circumstances from the deceased or their family. The urn is kept on the family altar for thirty-five days while incense while osenko are burned around the clock. from person to person in this way at any time other than at a funeral. Koden is collected by an attendant at the funeral, usually at the entrance to the place where the funeral is held.
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