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July 05, 2025
 

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DEATH

Shitsui Hakoishi, 107, works with researcher Yasumichi Arai (left) while her younger brother, Hidemasa, looks on. Researchers like Arai believe the healthy and active Hakoishi's cells may hold the secret to living a long life.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Longform
Jan 27, 2024
Living until 100, if not forever, in good health
Immortality may be out of reach, but can a slew of research projects prolong our natural aging process?
A mid-19th century ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi depicts Xu Fu’s voyage in search of the elixir of life. He can be seen near the left side of the image, with what looks to be Penglai, or Mount Fuji, in the background.
JAPAN / History / Longform
Jan 20, 2024
Eternal pursuits: A history of Japanese quests for immortality
Whether it's a permanent state of meditation or feasting on mermaid, the quest for immortality in Japan isn't too far off from those in other cultures.
JAPAN
Jan 16, 2024
Doctors and nurses support families at morgues after Noto quake
Teams were sent after the 2016 quakes in Kumamoto Prefecture and a major mudslide in Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture in 2021.
The question of when a person dies is a scientific and moral issue with far-reaching implications in the area of organ transplants, among others.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 16, 2023
When does science say we die?
Debates about when a human being dies are yet unresolved, with profound implications for the medical profession and areas such as organ transplants.
The family grave of Toshihide Matsumoto is dismantled in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. An increasing number of Japanese people are opting to permanently close their family graves as traditional family structures continue to change.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 9, 2023
Graying Japan faces a grave problem
Services designed to help people move or scatter their ancestors' ashes and close up family graves are experiencing increased demand.
The Justice Ministry is considering revising the law that requires wills to be handwritten so that people can write them on computers and smartphones.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 4, 2023
Japan considers law revision to allow computer-written wills
The Justice Ministry hopes that not requiring wills to be handwritten will both ease the burden of creating the documents and promote their use.
Kanji Matoba offers a prayer in front of a touch screen displaying a portrait of his late wife, at a columbarium in Sendai.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 4, 2023
New types of graves and services reflect changes in tradition
The COVID-19 pandemic made such services as grave visiting in place of families or ones using virtual reality technology take root.
Nihon Coffin showcases its products at Endex Japan 2023, an annual funeral and cemetery exhibition that was held at Tokyo Big Sight from Aug. 29 to 31.
BUSINESS
Sep 4, 2023
End-of-life companies look to innovate as Japan's deaths keep rising
A record 1.57 million people died in 2022, up from 1.25 million in 2012, and facilities to store dead bodies are becoming increasingly scarce.
Designed by Sadamaranai Obake, Kumomonaka is a wagashi (traditional Japanese confectionery) kit that encourages those in mourning to talk about the past while creating sweets in colors that remind them of their deceased loved ones.
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
Aug 26, 2023
Japan-made novelties with deeper purpose
The easiest way to understand Japanese cultural concepts might be through these smartly designed products.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Longform
Jul 10, 2023
In Japan, plenty of inheritances, but no one to claim them
With deaths outpacing births by 2-to-1, dealing with the assets of the deceased is both a growing business and an administrative nightmare.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
May 15, 2023
Haircuts for the deceased, begun in Mie, now offered across Chubu
Stylists across the region now cooperate in offering such services, aiming to make the deceased look the way they used to and allow families to spend a last moment with their loved one.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 6, 2023
Excess deaths doubled in Japan in 2022 — COVID-19 may be to blame
Despite being less pathogenic than previous coronavirus variants, omicron hit Japan's elderly population particularly hard last year.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 17, 2023
For some in Japan, the first day of spring means a visit with the ancestors
While visits to the family grave are often done during the Bon holidays in August, the spring and autumn equinoxes are also a traditional time to reconnect with your ancestors.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2023
Japan eases restrictions for funerals of COVID-19 patients
The revised guidelines will allow wakes and funerals for infected people to be held normally, albeit with some precautions taken.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Dec 19, 2022
Downsizing death: Japan's funeral industry at a crossroads
The death care business is rethinking the services it offers in response to soaring bookings and sagging revenue in a rapidly aging nation
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Dec 4, 2022
Ryuichi Sakamoto keeps the music going with a 'profound' concert
The upcoming “Playing the Piano 2022” concert will showcase a musician still exploring new horizons while contemplating the finiteness of life.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Oct 3, 2022
Calls made for COVID victims' families to be allowed a final farewell
Families of those who died of COVID-19 are still banned from attending cremations in nine municipalities in Hiroshima, and many hospitals prevent relatives from seeing patients after death.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Sep 30, 2022
Japanese lawmakers moving to make state funeral rules
The move comes after the recent state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saw a split in opinion among both the public and politicians.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Sep 26, 2022
Long burdened by costly funerals, Japan embraces simple goodbyes
While much of the recent decline was due to people opting for small-scale ceremonies to avoid the spread of COVID, many say the change is both overdue and unlikely to be fully reversed.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 23, 2022
What to say (and what not to say) at a Japanese funeral
With the state funeral of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe taking place in the next few days, we take a look at how the Japanese traditionally mourn the recently departed.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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