A 67-year-old Tokyo woman intends to stipulate in her will that she wants her ashes to be thrown away after she is cremated.
The single woman, who asked that her name not be used, has signed up with the Tokyo-based nonprofit organization LISS System, which assists members in planning various arrangements required after death, and, when the time comes, carries them out on behalf of the deceased.
She is one of an increasing number of single elderly people who live alone as Japan ages at a rapid pace while the birthrate continues to fall. The lack of an immediate family to depend on is prompting many single seniors to think ahead to their death and the necessary arrangements.