As nuclear families become more common in Japan, interest is growing in personal ways to memorialize loved ones by keeping small portions of their ashes nearby. The market now features diverse options like jewelry and small urns to hold cremated remains.
The rise of nuclear families has made traditional grave visits challenging, leading to a surge in 'in-home memorialization,' where people keep cremated remains at home or on their person. Tokyo-based funeral firm Memorial Art Ohnoya has sold over 200,000 units of its 'Soul Series' jewelry and urns since 2010, with 2023 sales reaching 5.5 times the 2011 figure. Primary buyers are women in their 40s and 50s, though male customers are increasing.
A 44-year-old woman in Yokohama bought pendants containing her father's ashes for herself and her mother about 10 years ago after his sudden death. 'Having this pendant makes me feel like my father is always close to me,' she said. With his grave far away and potential closure in mind, keeping the ashes physically near provides great comfort.
The trend toward ash scattering also plays a role. A 46-year-old woman in Tokyo scattered her mother's ashes at sea in July but retained a small portion in a living room urn. She offers tea and chats with it daily: 'It makes me feel like I'm living with my mother.' Tokyo's House Boat Club reports that 10% to 15% of ocean scattering clients opt for in-home memorialization, where ashes are powdered and a portion set aside.
Osaka's Gendai-Butsudan Co. notes popularity for glass or ceramic urns. The manager of its Gallery Memoria Tokyo Nihombashi store said: 'People used to buy complete altar sets based on temple sects, but now they mix items to fit home interiors, making small urns a favored choice.'
Tetsu Yoshizumi, editor-in-chief of Gekkan Shukatsu published by Kamakura Shinsho, attributes this to nuclear families reducing grave and altar inheritance, yet the emotional need to remember parents or spouses persists. 'This individual approach to memorialization may be a direct result of that sentiment.' There are no legal issues with in-home practices, but families should discuss future handling of ashes; a certificate of bone division may be needed for later grave placement, so consulting temples or cemeteries in advance is advised.