Podcast in English 20210812 Relic Collection Business

Podcast No. 35 in English

Today is August 12th, 2021.

This is your host, Yuusuke Wada, probably the only funeral business podcaster discussing the death industry business of Japan in English.

I’m also the researcher of the Reform of Death and the journey to the end of life.

I must apologize for the people waiting for the weekly podcast last week.
I had to skip it.
AND I’m also one day late for this one as well.
I almost missed this one.

No. 34 was about a special embossing paper that pops up after passing through the heater.

Today, I wish to talk about a man, 20 years ago who created the industry of “Relic Collection Business” in Japan.

His name is Mr. Taichi Yoshida, the president of the company called “Keepers”.

I remember when I was still in the mortuary business trying to find a better way for the surviving family. There are always problems of what to do with relics of the deceased.
Being an undertaker, that wasn’t my job but there was a potential market from the very beginning and people did not know how and what to do with them.

Many threw it away as “non-combustible waste” and had it go to the dump.

We took care of old Buddhist home altars when needed and took it apart in our warehouse and had it thrown out.

But many times, beside these religious materials, there are monetary value.

Mr. Yoshida posted and sent business postcards (flyers) to all funeral homes asking them to find a client in need of house cleaning.

Yes, the crux is “house cleaning”.

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サブスクって本当に有益？

ここでも幾度も話をしていますが、私は2018年11月から2019年10月末まで東京スクエアガーデンに入っていたWeWorkにワーキングデスクを置いていました。

WeWorkもある意味サブスク系の場所借り（私から見たら技術関係なしのただの又貸し屋）で、性懲りもなく無駄に1年も契約してしまいました。良かったことは経験。悪かったこと、それも経験（笑）。

私もAdobe、Spotify、MS365、Google Workplace、Zoom、Vimeo、強いて言えばこのWorpressを利用していてこれらもサブスクビジネスです。
これらはソフトウェアのサブスクリプションモデルです。

さて、それはそれで、この様な案内がFB広告で見ます。
これもレンタル（サブスク）ですね。
しかし、これは「ハードウェア」です。

実は、レンタルオフィスは私もまだ利用しています。
現在、11月末まで日本外国特派員協会が入っている同じ丸の内二重橋ビルの東京會舘側で2FにあるServCorpです。
ここは質が良いとのことですが、ただの住所借りをしているので、ちょっとでも会議室を借りようとすると一気に費用が嵩みます。こんな状態なら外国人記者クラブでミーティングなのですが、11時半までバーは開かないのでFCCJも午後でないと全く利用価値がありません。

ServCorpは契約終了時の11月末で利用を終了します。
ここもやはり祝日などは有料でも会議室は一切使えない問題があり利用価値がないわけです。
そもそもこのようなビルはみんな閉鎖してしまいます。
同じ建物内の外国人記者クラブも利用できなかったのはいうまでもありません。
東京スクエアガーデンもそうですが、カードキーを利用して入ることが出来ました。

そんなことがあり、先月に利用終了を申し出て8月いっぱいで解約をしようとしましたが、1年契約だったらしい。

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Podcast in English 20210728 Emboss print

Podcast No. 34 in English

Today is July 28th, 2021.

This is your host, Yuusuke Wada, probably the only funeral business podcaster discussing the death industry business of Japan in English.
I’m also the researcher of the Reform of Death and the journey to the end of life.

No. 33 was about a startup company in Israel called Memotree.
It’s a technology that implants DNA into a tree (plants) and encrypts and uses it as a natural memory.
These trees replace tombstones and set the carbon offset.

I had a zoom meeting with the founder.

Also, I had a meeting with another startup company in Japan that uses iris of your eyes and creates an artwork out through image manipulation and encryption that becomes the key to the virtual cemetery.
The system is called “viz Prizma”.

All of these are new technologies that defies the current funeral tradition.
Traditions are there to bring order and rules at the time of turmoil.
People need to rethink what a funeral is really all about.

I have a page on this website explaining Japanese Funerals.
You might want to take a look at it.

Japanese Funeral 101 index

I will need to discuss this as a different episode as one of the deep dives.

Today’s talk is about a special paper that expands (pops up) like braille characters when heated through a special roller.

Paper is printed using a regular inkjet printer.
Then, the computer sends emboss data to a separate printer and this heater.
This means you print twice (2 data).
One without the emboss, it can be colored, and the other, plain emboss data.
When the paper is passing through the “fixer” that heats the paper, the emboss image expands.

Minolta, in the 1990’s had a copier that was sold to the visually impared market for braille printing.
But this was not so accurate since the copiers were huge and bulky, and paper tended to skew while in the copier. But these were also used for making Christmas cards.

I’ll be working with that technology as well.

Need to make a marketing value.

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Podcast in English 20210721 Plants with Memory and Human DNA

Podcast No. 33 in English

Today is July 21st, 2021.

No. 32 was about future AI usage allowing digital transformation in the funeral industry.
What’s important is the AI to take calls and if needed, pass the baton to a real human being.
In Japan, there is only one real reason for those who call the funeral parlors.

Someone has died and we funeral directors need to find out where to go and pick up their loved ones and bring them to wherever needed, such as the morgue or to their home, or even to temples.

Therefore, an AI avatar has a much higher dimensional value than just taking the call.

Today, agriculture and ecosystems are very important.

Today’s talk is about a biotech startup company in Israel that stores data on plants.

It’s called the “Memo Tree” that keeps you and your loved one’s memory alive.

What I have been told by the founder is that they are starting a pilot program in the USA.
I am informed about it but I cannot reveal it yet.

This is a technology that implements memory capabilities in plants and replaces them from tombstones.

In the USA, there are too many tombstones taking space in the graveyards.
Actually, not only in the USA, but many countries have an issue on this.

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Podcast in English 20210714 Using AI and tools

Podcast No. 32 in English

No. 31 was in Japanese posted today (written yesterday).

Hello everyone, today is July 14th, 2021.

This is your host, Yuusuke Wada, probably the only funeral business podcaster in Japan and also a death industry consultant.

I am also the Researcher of the Reform of Death and I prepare for the End of Life Journey.

Podcast No. 32 of YEYSHONAN, a weekly podcast in English.

During the weekend, my home fax-printer’s LCD touch pad display went out.
It would no longer respond to it.
I can receive fax or use it as a printer but not as a copier or sending fax.

I went out to buy one nearby but realized it was a waste of time.

I had to go to Akihabara, the electronics district in Tokyo and bought it and had it shipped the very next day and replaced.

My son needed it to do his college homework.

Week before, my two harddrives broke.
Yesterday, my partner brought in a non-working security camera to fix.
I’m still working on that with the team in Shenzhen China and Singapore.

As soon as I find a method of recovering the security camera, I’m going to place the rest for sale.

Today, I want to talk about technologies being implemented in the funeral business.

99.97% are cremated in Japan.
There is no such thing as “eco-friendly burials”.

But what about webcasting, online memorials, burial, and obituaries?

Webcasting has started in Japan due to people not being able to attend the services due to the corona pandemic.
It took off but since after so many “state of emergency”, BTW, as of writing, it’s the 4th semi-lockdown in Tokyo and its vicinity but no one is really obeying anymore.

But funerals have become small in size.

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Podcast in English 20210707 Funeral Biz Fair 2021

Podcast No. 30 in English

Hello everyone, today is July 7st, 2021.

This is your host, Yuusuke Wada, probably the only funeral business podcaster in Japan and also a death industry consultant.

I am also the Researcher of the Reform of Death and I prepare for the End of Life Journey.

Podcast No. 30 of YEYSHONAN, a weekly podcast in English.

Last week, I talked about the Deep Dive event held at FCCJ, the foreign correspondents club of Japan.

Today, I wish to update you on the funeral business fair that was held 2 weeks ago (a bit late) and the AI in the death industry.

Also, just 3 days ago, two of my 2 terabyte hard drives crashed simultaneously.

I had data dispersed for risk hedging but no luck.

I’ve been trying to recover for the past 3 days and losing the battle.

As I mentioned in the podcast released on June 23rd, it was a good idea to pre-register.

As of this date, there are no official number of people that attended.
I was waiting for that number to show up but not this year.

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Podcast in English 20210701 Old Age and Economy –Deep Dive of FCCJ

Hello everyone, today is July 1st, 2021.

My name is Yuusuke Wada, probably the only funeral business podcaster in Japan and also a death industry consultant. I am also the Researcher of the Reform of Death and I prepare for the End of Life Journey.

Podcast No. 29 of YEYSHONAN, a weekly podcast in English.
Sorry, I am one day late for the weekly podcast.

Last week I was at the funeral trade show in Yokohama. It was better that I imagined.
I’ll talk about this in a different episode.

**The ONLY Funeral Business Podcaster in Japan**

This morning, I was at The Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan (FCCJ) for an event called the Deep Dive, which is a task force organized by ex-presidents of FCCJ and a few members including myself. The topic was Japan’s economic recovery trajectory.

The panelists were Mr. Paul Sheard who is the research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Mr. Naoyuki Yoshino at professor at Keio, and Mr. Jesper Koll who is a venture capitalist, moderated by Mr. Anthony Rowley of Asia Economic.

From left, Prof. Yoshino, Mr. Anthony Rowley, Mr. Jesper Koll, and attending from NY, Mr. Paul Sheard on screen.

One of the issues discussed was that the old aged society is pulling our legs in the workforce. These government expenditures on welfare could be put to a better use. The idea of prolonging the retirement age and wages based on productivity should precede seniority in the company.

The workforce in Japan switches jobs due to NOT the enhancement of their careers but due to human relationships at work, such as not liking the Bucho or Kacho at all. These are all negative impacts. The engineers are in silos and do not go out meeting others.

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