Japanese often cite an old aphorism that goes, "Tatsu tori ato wo nigosazu" ("It is a foolish bird that defiles its own nest"). This can be taken to mean that a departing person should not leave behind a mess.
What kind of mess? Well, it goes without saying that contemporary affluence has enabled people to accumulate material possessions to a degree unthinkable by earlier generations. Many of these articles — items composed of metal, ceramics, glass and wood, and the dwellings that house them — can outlast human protoplasm for many decades without appreciating in commercial value.
To the elderly, a home and its treasured possessions can become a considerable burden on both the owners and their heirs.