Yuko Nakajima says her job isn't as pretty as portrayed in "Departures," director Yojiro Takita's Oscar-winning 2008 film about Japanese ritual morticians.

While the movie cast a tender light on the occupation, the 37-year-old says it can get messy and requires speed and nerves: The corpses she handles are in various stages of decomposition and are sometimes damaged beyond recognition. There's also a certain amount of stigma associated with the trade in a society that considers death taboo.

"Some express contempt when I tell them I work with the dead, and my parents haven't been completely supportive, either," she said. "But once people see what we actually do, I'm sure they will understand the importance of our job."