Tag Archives: 葬儀

棺が足らない!2022年1月から棺の価格が上昇した!

実は日本で利用されている棺のほとんどと言っていいくらい中国生産である。
木材を調達するのも、棺を作るのも日本では高すぎて国内生産はしていない。

大手のヤマトコフイン、協和木工、ジャパン唐和なんかみんな中国生産で日本に輸入している。

そんな中、中国にてコロナの影響もあり生産が著しく落ちた。
昨年末から各葬儀社に来年(今年)の1月から4割アップしますと通達が届いた。

今、日本では140万人弱の人が亡くなっている。
2019年と比べて2020年ははじめてコロナの影響で死亡数が若干減ったが、また2021年は145万人まで増えた。

厚生労働省ホームページより
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/jinkou/geppo/nengai20/dl/gaikyouR2.pdf

そして2021年は大幅にアップし、145万人となった!

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Podcast in English 20210825 NFT in Funeral Biz

Podcast No. 37 in English

Today is August 25th, 2021.

The previous podcast No. 36 was about DNA preservation.
DNA preservation is much securer than cryogenic technology.
BTW, in the USA, if you were to be cryogenically “stored”, there’s no death certificate.
It means “YOU ARE NOT DEAD BUT PRESERVED”, but in real life, no one has yet come back and the companies which service it don’t guarantee the “preserved” to come back to life again.


This week’s episode is about NFT in the funeral business.
What is NFT?

This is the definition from Wikipedia which is very well written and I wish to share.

A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unit of data stored on a digital ledger, called a blockchain, that certifies a digital asset to be unique and therefore not interchangeable.

Japan’s Only Funeral Biz Podcaster
Thumbnail spelling… I’ll fix later

NFT used in the funeral market in Japan, what is it and how?

Let me give you a very simple example of how to use a NFT managed microphone for a rock group lead singer, let’s say, one of Mick Jagger’s.
Let’s say that I’m using the same one.

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Podcast in English 20210818 DNA Preservation

Podcast No. 36 in English

Today is August 18th, 2021.

The previous podcast No. 35 was about a company called “Keepers” and its president Mr. Taichi Yoshida who established the “Relic Collection — or Relic Disposal” business in Japan.

Today, I wish to talk about DNA preservation.

I was listening to a podcast on my way to town today. 
The podcast is called “Elevating Funeral Service” 

and the Episode #30, “Should Your Funeral Home Offer DNA Preservation?”

Come to think of it, there is not even a single funeral service in Japan that offers DNA preservation.

Japan’s Only Funeral Biz Podcaster
  • Why should you offer such?
  • How to preserve?
  • DNA degrades in time so data is important.
    • BTW, the DNA degradation mechanism has not yet been understood.

It talks about the value proposition and what they are, even before death.

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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”.

Japan’s Only Funeral Biz Podcaster

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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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.

Japan’s Only Funeral Biz Podcaster

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.

Japan’s Only Funeral Biz Podcaster

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.

Trying to recover my two 2TB HDD…

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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昨年飛ばしたフューネラルビジネスフェア開催

本日、パシフィコ横浜にてフューネラルビジネスフェアが開催されました。

私としては、実は2周間前のエンディング産業展もありましたが、そこで出会った人たちだけではなく、昨年や一昨年にフューネラルビジネスフェア2019やエンディング産業展2020、2021で出会った人たちと会う場所でもありました。

いわゆる同窓会みたいなものでもありました。

大切なことは続けることです。

今、葬儀業界がジリ貧状態になりつつあります。

単価アップだけでは救えない業界です。
単価アップしたら次がないという状況にもあります。

どうやったらお客様に喜んでいただけるか考える必要があります。

私が敬愛するいつでもコール24の佐々木悦子社長

お葬式の価値は何かを説明せずに単価アップはカローラに1000万も支払うような状態でもあるのかな?
別に払いたければ払ってもよいのですが、同じものがもっと格安で入手できてなぜ、その金額?ってのを考える必要があります。

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