TOKYO - Although most people visiting cemeteries during the autumn equinox in Japan are accustomed to cremation as the standard form of burial, a growing number of sites are now offering traditional ground burials. The shift reflects rising demand, particularly from foreign residents, and increasingly from Japanese as well.
A cemetery in Honjo, Saitama Prefecture, about two hours by car from central Tokyo, began accepting burials six years ago. The Honjo Kodama Sacred Cemetery charges 300,000 yen per plot for burial without cremation. Representative Sojo Hayakawa explained that the decision was made in response to numerous requests from foreign residents living in Japan. "Helping foreigners is part of it too. When people finish their lives and move on to the next world, it is only right to send them off properly," said Hayakawa.
In Miyagi Prefecture, Governor Yoshihiro Murai had been considering establishing a burial cemetery, noting demand from both foreign residents and Japanese citizens. However, following concerns about potential environmental impacts, the prefecture last week abandoned the plan. "After careful consideration, I have decided to withdraw the proposal to study burial cemeteries," Murai said.
Keisuke Sato, professor at Sophia University who studies ethics surrounding death, explained that burial was historically the global norm, including in Japan. "It is true that burial is more common worldwide, and Japan also practiced burial in the past. But in the Meiji era, concerns arose about land shortages and public health risks, leading to a rapid shift to cremation," Sato noted.
Burial is not legally prohibited in Japan, but requires municipal approval and must take place in designated cemeteries. Currently, only around 10 cemeteries nationwide accept burials, including the one in Honjo. Demand now comes not only from foreign residents but also from Japanese, with inquiries arriving from Miyagi, Niigata, and Okinawa.
Hayakawa said that in 2019, the cemetery performed around eight burials, but the number has grown steadily to more than 40 this year alone. Over the past seven years, the cumulative total has reached 169, of which 16 were Japanese. Many of the Japanese applicants were married to foreign nationals. "There are quite a few Japanese who want to return to the soil. Just earlier, a Japanese couple reserved a plot," he added.
The cemetery is now preparing for family burials, with plots designed to accommodate up to six people together. Several Japanese families have already made reservations, with four bookings through September 2025. With further development, the site could accommodate as many as 3,000 burials in the future.
Professor Sato pointed out that as Japan faces declining population and fewer successors to maintain family graves, funeral practices are diversifying. "From natural burials to tree burials, there are many options now. In that context, burial is simply another option," he said, adding that society must also prepare for the challenges such diversification will bring.
Source: FNN
