Japan’s $1.8 Million Funeral for 101-Year-Old Government Retiree
According to UK company Sun Life’s most recent ranking of the average cost of dying, you don’t want to die in Japan. Despite a cremation rate of 99.97%, Japan leads the world in funeral pricing, with an average send-off setting you back about $28,793. So perhaps it shouldn’t be so surprising that the funeral for a 101-year-old former prime minister will cost taxpayers a whopping $1.8 million.
When confronted by “tweeting taxpayers” and some senior political figures about the exorbitant price tag, representatives cite the “great man’s stature” and the “need to hire a giant venue that allowed social distancing.” Justifications aside, the seven-figure funeral has brought Japan’s out-of-whack funeral pricing into the public eye.
It’s not just the overall costs, though, that have Japanese consumers up in arms. It’s the way those costs are imposed. A recent Financial Times article cites non-negotiable $100 tips for hearse drivers, $35 for a small pot of tea, and “arrangements” between funeral homes, hospitals, and venues that leave families feeling powerless to go in a different direction. In fact, quibbling about traditional costs for funerals is actually considered “taboo” in the country.
That taboo is slowly disintegrating, though, as more rankings like Sun Life’s and funeral pricing apps are becoming available. (Ryan Thogmartin, have you ever considered taking Price My Funeral international?). One Japanese funeral home comparison app has made disruption its mission, leading with the thought-provoking slogan: “If you select a funeral without making any comparison, you will feel regret in cost and spirit.” And no one wants that.
さて、この映画とNFDA 2020 国際展示会がどう関係あるのか。
