The second-floor unit in Kodaira, western Tokyo, at first glance may look like an overly large apartment, with its sofas, large TV, video player, kitchen, bathroom and tatami room, but it is actually a small-scale funeral hall.
The hall was opened last year by Memorial Art Ohnoya Inc., a Tokyo-based funeral company, to meet the growing demand for small funerals in modest surroundings where families can send off the dearly departed without ringing up a huge tab.
"We aim to help families say goodbye to their loved ones in a relaxed atmosphere, just as if they were at home," said Aki Mitsuyasu, an spokesman at the western Tokyo branch.