Sales value of funeral services Japan FY 2014-2023

In the fiscal year 2023, the sales value of funeral services in Japan amounted to close to 601.54 billion Japanese yen, an increase compared to the previous fiscal year. There are several thousand funeral service businesses operating in Japan. Modern funerals in Japan The customs of Japanese funeral services vary depending on region, religion, and religious denomination. Most modern funeral services in Japan are, however, conducted with Buddhist rites. Although the connection of the Japanese citizens with Buddhist temples has become sparser with the times, it is still common to invite a priest from a temple to a funeral and receive a sutra reading and dharma name for the deceased family member. A modern Buddhist funeral usually starts with a wake in the evening of the first day. On the second day, a cremation is carried out after a funeral ceremony. It is most common to request companies that specialize in the funeral business to coordinate the services and hold a funeral at a funeral home. In this manner, families can complete the whole procedure of a funeral, also a cremation, in one place.  Expenses for a funeral A bereaved family in Japan has plenty to manage when it comes to the financing of a funeral. If the family is willing to hold a usual funeral with Buddhist rites, costs for a funeral service, expenses for a ceremonial meal and reciprocal gift for attendees, and alms for a priest engaging at the funeral are required. Additionally, families that do not own a family grave or a family Buddhist altar would need to purchase those items anew. Due to its high financial requirements, it is with increasing frequency that families hold a one-day funeral without a wake or a funeral without a ceremony to minimize the costs. In order to reduce the financial burden and stress of the remaining family members, the end-of-life planning “shukatsu” has also gained popularity in the recent Japanese society.

在2023财政年度，日本丧葬服务的销售额接近6015.4亿日元，较上一年度有所增长。日本运营着数千家丧葬服务企业。日本现代丧葬习俗因地区、宗教及宗教派别而异。然而，大多数现代丧葬服务在日本均采用佛教仪式。尽管随着时代的变迁，日本公民与佛教寺庙的联系日渐稀疏，但邀请寺庙僧侣参与丧葬仪式，为逝者家属诵经并赐予法名，依然是一种常见的做法。现代佛教丧葬通常从第一天的晚上开始守灵，第二天举行火化仪式。最普遍的做法是委托专门从事丧葬业务的公司协调服务，并在殡仪馆举行丧葬仪式。以此方式，家属可以在一个地方完成整个丧葬过程，包括火化。丧葬费用方面，日本失去亲人的家庭在丧葬经费管理上面临着诸多挑战。如果家庭愿意举行传统的佛教仪式，则需要支付丧葬服务费、仪式餐食及与会者回礼的费用，以及参与丧葬仪式的僧侣的布施。此外，那些没有家族墓地或家族佛教祭坛的家庭还需重新购置这些物品。鉴于其高昂的经济要求，越来越多的家庭选择举行一日丧葬，以避免守灵或简化仪式，以降低成本。为了减轻剩余家庭成员的经济负担和心理压力，近年来，日本社会对临终规划（shukatsu）的接受度也在不断提高。