Regarding the story “Pandemic fuels trend toward smaller, simpler funerals” in the March 31 edition, the price of funerals in Japan is outrageous. If ¥500,000 is considered cheap, and “cheaper alternatives” include a ¥253,000 one-day funeral that skips the wake, bodies will start piling up in the streets if the coronavirus continues to rage on for months. I myself can’t afford these prices. I come from California where one can be cremated and have one’s ashes tossed at sea for less than $500.
Less expensive services are needed in Japan before the situation gets desperate.
Setagaya Ward, Tokyo
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
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