lifestyle

Got something you don't want your relatives to find after you die?

28 Comments

Take a look around your room right now. If you were to drop dead this instant would you be okay with having family members go through all of your stuff?

A lot of people have skeletons in their closet or on their hard drives that may be best left hidden even after death. It’s bad enough to have your friends and family mourn your passing but do they need the stress of learning you were into Japanese mud porn too?

So for the terminally ill, elderly, people wanting to maintain their double lives in perpetuity, and people living under constant fear of death, making arrangements with an experienced and independent 3rd party to come in and clean your space might be the way to go.

Making arrangements before departing this mortal coil has become something of a fad in Japan, especially since the release of the critically acclaimed documentary "Ending Note" (Death of a Japanese Salesman) in 2011.

An ending note is an informal type of last will and testament but not legally binding. Their purpose is for people whose end is near to easily make the necessary preparations so that their family doesn’t have to deal with needless burdens.

Major stationery companies like Kokuyo even produce ending note kits to help facilitate the process.

Keepers is a private company run by Taichi Yoshida which started Japan’s first “Deceased Belongings Clean-Up Service” in 2000. In an interview with News Post Seven, he tells some cautionary tales of his experiences with post-mortem secrets revealed.

“A lot of cosmetics and women’s underwear seems to come out of the rooms of estranged fathers.”

He also tells of men with mistresses and illegitimate children who were only discovered after death. As heavy as those cases are, even something not so serious but very unbecoming of your public persona might be best left hidden.

“There was a former elementary school teacher who was found to have over 1,000 adult videos in his home. His family was speechless.”

Unless you’re Larry Flint, no one wants to be remembered that way. So you could whip up an ending note to have some professionals who’ve seen it all come in and chuck them out when you’re truly done with them.

Source: Keepers, News Post Seven via Itai News

Read more stories on RocketNews24. -- “Before-Death” Visions – Reports from the Afterlife -- “Son, Please Be More Careful With Your Condoms! Love, Mom x” -- Baby Red Panda Makes his Dramatic Screen Debut

© RocketNews24

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28 Comments
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A lot of people have skeletons in their closet

Yes, otherwise the pension payments stop.

16 ( +18 / -2 )

Smith, the family will care. We all have those little secrets we don't want our children or close relatives to know. There may be people who lived like saints and have no dirt whatsoever under their carpets, but those maybe very rare.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Back in my younger days, when I lived in West Palm Beach, Florida (geriatric capital of the US), I made a living selling "adult" entertainment devices to those who were home-bound or didn't have the energy to keep up with a partner anymore. I had two regular customers who purchased quite a bit. Part of that was because I had made them a promise that I would, upon notification of their death, go to their homes and remove the materials. Indeed, their lawyers had been specifically instructed to call me as soon as their passing had been verified.

Unfortunately, I did live there long enough to lose both of these customers, and I did carry out my promise both times. The second time, however, I was forced to call the lawyer when a police officer came to check on the house and saw me carrying out boxes. Fortunately, he was the understanding sort, and after he verified that everything being removed was of the same...genre(?) and making sure I wasn't walking away with the silverware or anything, he let me go and locked up the house.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Yes, otherwise the pension payments stop.

Ha.

do they need the stress of learning you were into Japanese mud porn too?

Dirty stuff that.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Yeah, hope my wife/widow will clean up before the in-laws come so they won't find out what WE where into, lol!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Everyone has something to hide. What little inconsequential secrets I have I do not put into writing. They will die with me. In general, I have nothing to hide, or nothing worth hiding. I only wish that someone will correct all of my typographical errors after I am gone.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Fumie Yuhi permit me to say that your English is quite good.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The only thing I dont want anyone to find when I die is my collection of skiddy pants hidden at the back of the 3rd drawer down in my bedroom

2 ( +3 / -1 )

smithinjapanJAN. 21, 2013 - 01:28PM JST Who the heck cares? You'll be dead. And if death is biological (ie. no heaven, no after-life, just lights out) then technically your family and anyone and everything else will no longer exist.

And that my friend would be on each person's personal beliefs on how they see death and beyond. Several billion people alone believe in reincarnation.

I've personally had expired relatives appear occasionally at around 3am grabbing my neck while I'm in the futon.

Good business idea though. I'm sure this guy will make some decent money.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Who the heck cares? You'll be dead.

Your heirs do. Depends on your feelings for them. Just when your son's career as a politician is getting successful, it appears you, the father,were high profile Nazi criminal living under a false ID (that would beat the debate about Obama's nationality). Or when your daughter expected inheriting a fortune, she has to take a credit to pay your funerals as it appears you were some crook like Madoff.

“There was a former elementary school teacher who was found to have over 1,000 adult videos in his home. His family was speechless.”

That's cute... there are guys that are starring in the videos, abusing people. That company would destroy evidence of crimes ?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@ReformedBasher,

I didn't notice Good or Bad signs and had never checked them. Thanks for telling me. Maybe people gave me thumbs down because of my bad English.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

It's OK, I'll be dead and people can call me whatever they wish and re-evaluate their thoughts on me. Only one being's opinion really counts.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I found out a few things about some family members that I didn't know after they died. I was a bit shocked and disappointed, but over time I realised that it was probably a good thing that I knew. The truth sets you free.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I'm not very adept with the technical aspects of computers but if you delete the cookies after using "scandalous" sites and do not add them to your favorites would not that prevent their exposure.

No. There's still the history and cache. And some other sneaky ways. ;-)

(Also, careful with your financial data and passwords.)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

my instructions will be simple: reformat all hard drives, flash drives, a clean OS install; anything, trunks or drawers that are locked remains that way and to trash them the was they are. oh, and reformat all drives again.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I am actually kind of surprised that some company didn't think of this sooner when one considers the penchant of Japanese people literally falling over themselves to keep up appearances.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Exactly. What to do with the hard-drives? Hope someone just pick them up and chuck them away into the common garbage room of your apartment. But what's more, what to do with all the passwords that are are spread allover your social networks? And PalPay or over hidden online bank accounts? That must be a neat idea to come up with something you could leave behind on a secure online server and have only selected people (like your best mate) access to. Who's erasing your Facebook profile when you die? Who is informing your mistresses through your secret Gmail account that you've passed away? How to withdraw your outstanding balance from your PalPay account. And much more.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

“There was a former elementary school teacher who was found to have over 1,000 adult videos in his home. His family was speechless.”

As long as it wasn't kiddy porn, so what?

Remember "fixing" a computer for a well known and respected Maths teacher. He knew I knew but I kept a straight face in front of his family. I'd be a hypocrite not to.

Funnily enough, everytime I fix a computer for a guy, the problem has been caused by browsing for porn etc, unless it's a kid who usually downloads game related but harmful stuff instead.

How about the ladies? I know you get up to stuff but seem more discreet about it (have come across various "equipment" by accident though)

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Fumie,

I don't understand why people are giving you thumbs down. Whether you like or dislike your husband is not for us to judge.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I'm skeptical. What is there to prevent this third person from going through the computer and choosing damaging information to use for their own personal gain. I would think that one would have to be very careful who they choose.

I'm not very adept with the technical aspects of computers but if you delete the cookies after using "scandalous" sites and do not add them to your favorites would not that prevent their exposure. Of course the worst case scenario would be to die (heart attack, stroke) while watching them and not even be able to turn the computer off.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Thanks Lostrune2 for the tech info.. I never in-put financial data even though the phone, electric etc. companies keep urging me to do so. It's mostly beneficial for them.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

1000 porn films?!? Sell them on ebay and leave the money to my estate please...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The thing that I don't want anyone to see when something happen to me is my diary. So I write it in English, almost illegible letters so that my husband would not find out what I feel about him.

-1 ( +10 / -11 )

Thanks for reminding me .. I recently book marked a youtube link to an Iran Hanging . I'll just remove it shortly . I am disgusted with myself.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

wait...its not legally binding so say you die, how do these companies get to enter my home, search my stuff and do the cleanup?...coz a relative can just refuse entry, i would

and even if they do the cleanup, what happens to my stuff? 1000 porn vids are worth some serious moola

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I didn't notice Good or Bad signs and had never checked them. Thanks for telling me. Maybe people gave me >thumbs down because of my bad English.

trust me, its got nothing to do with your english, you're getting the td because we understand you just fine

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Nada! None whatsoever. What a boring life i lead. Maybe i should spice it up a bit before i go meet my maker. Hmmmm....

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Who the heck cares? You'll be dead. And if death is biological (ie. no heaven, no after-life, just lights out) then technically your family and anyone and everything else will no longer exist.

-11 ( +2 / -13 )

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