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Considering freedom of burial
Burial Culture Association
About the Burial Culture Association
This association strives to raise awareness and understanding of the significance of burial throughout Japan.
It was established to support the opening of burial cemeteries that transcend ethnic and religious affiliations in areas where burial is currently unavailable: Tohoku, Hokuriku, Chukyo, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa.
What is burial?
Currently in Japan, there is no law that prohibits burial, and it is treated the same as cremation under the "Law Concerning Cemeteries, Burials, etc." Therefore, burial is possible if you submit a "burial permit" that proves that you have been granted permission to burial by the local government.
However, due to land and hygiene issues, burial is only possible in limited areas.
Burial and religion
Religions that practice burial include Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and many others. Even today, Christians often choose burial, as the death of Jesus Christ is considered a symbol of the fact that he was buried in the ground to forgive people's sins.
History of burial
Burial has been widely practiced in Japan since ancient times, and during the Kofun period, there was a custom of burying the body and building a burial mound over it to worship the deceased. Until the Edo period, burial, in which the body is buried underground, was common in many areas, and cremation was limited to some urban areas and areas with a Buddhist background.