Lodging houses used as morgues create unease among residents

Imagine if one guy ressuscitates.

Dying alone, dying back alone probably.

RIP one must die.

The dead centre of town.

I have no problem with it so long as it is well regulated.

Imagine 10 to 20 corpse laying in the house nest to your home, then you may understand the feelin of these locals.

Almost every village has a local cemetery full of human bones...usually in the center

Imagine 10 to 20 corpse laying in the house nest to your home, then you may understand the feelin of these locals.

Uh, yeah! You think?

What’s the problem, just quieter than usual lodgers! So long as they aren’t there too long and start to leak, if freshly dead they won’t even smell.

Albaleo—it is common but not always practical in urban situations

I understand that. I was just pointing out that dead bodies in houses is not such an unusual thing in Japan. Coming from the UK where corpses are usually kept out of sight, my first family funeral in Japan was quite something. The old man's friends dressing him in appropriate robes, and arguing about the proper way to place his arms and hands, while demonstrating alternative methods with his body, all in front of the family. The young kids attending looked fascinated.

So I'm wondering about the local complaints in this case. Was it more about the way the bodies were being treated rather than simply the presence of corpses?

Japan is just not good at forward planning. Weather it is one lane highways or 1.3years to prepare for Covid19 to knowing aging population.

Correction above: should NOT give license...

Albaleo—it is common but not always practical in urban situations—for a family to honor their loved one with a memorial ceremony at home before cremation (see the award-winning Japan film “Departures”). However such services can be costly events, and as this article relates, many of these stored dead were being buried without ceremony.

That possibly indicates the deceased that had no one to claim their remains. This is a major problem for many cities everywhere, and contracted morticians are paid a lower standard fee to handle the remains. But that should give a company license to mishandle the remains.

If the owner was seen laying a cloth bound corpse out back in the garden as observed by a neighbor, that doesn’t sound hygienic or respectful to the dead. In the US, morticians have been prosecuted for stacking bodies in back warehouses instead of conducting timely burials. Sounds like a cut-rate operation here too.

Given the volume of superstitions in Japan, it’s understandable why neighbors would be uneasy about having such a storage facility in their midst. If the deceased had a difficult death, it is believed their kami might still be lingering around the body. In any case, a place with decaying bodies is considered unclean in Shinto, especially in a residential area. Whether moralizing Caucasians believe these things is irrelevant—it only matters what Japanese living in Japan want to believe as far as their traditions.

Why do people make so much of a fuss about the normal things - love, death, sex

In my experience, people in Japan make less fuss about these things than in my own country. It's quite normal for a corpse to be laid out at home in full view of the rest of the family prior to the cremation.

These houses are the last place you want to go. And for some people, they are.

Dying is normal. We'll all do it. Why do people make so much of a fuss about the normal things - love, death, sex - yet so often remain unperturbed by poverty, homelessness, loneliness, malnutrition and karoshi?

Post of the day.

Thank you.

Another thing (and not just confined to our host nation) is that people seem uneasy or unwilling to talk about death. It can be quite difficult to grieve properly, when no-one wants to mention the elephant in the room. It shouldn't even be an hyperbolic elephant. It's normal, it's natural and everyone needs closure. Giving people space isn't always what that person needs or wants. Sometimes they need to talk about it, they need the company.

A corpse is quiet, does not throw cig butts on the ground, candy wrappers and cans like most Japanese freely do. Just bring the bodies in respectfully under the cover of very early morning.

The guy didn't do anything wrong nor illegal. If they take the necessary precautions that might tho with a decomposing body, I see no problem.

Agreed @GBR48 9:29am. 

“If the lodging house was operating normally, the neighbours might be complaining about the noise and litter, or concerned that they might be living near transients, immigrants or tourists.” -

Another case of Japanese homeowners that jumped on the previous ‘tourism boom’ that are now left ‘holding the bag’ for ‘lodging improvements’ they were encouraged to make. 

“the man said he had seen no hope of getting lodgers to stay at his guesthouse due to a drop in customers as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.“ -

Now, he’s just trying to ‘make a buck’ ANY way he can, even if it means ‘hosting bodies for a short stay’.

Agreed @GBR48 9:29am. Another case of Japanese homeowners that jumped of the previous ‘tourism boom’ that are now left ‘holding the bag’ for ‘lodging improvements’ they were encouraged to make.

Now, he’s just trying to ‘make a buck’ ANY way he can, even if it means ‘hosting bodies for a short stay’.

Of old age.. nothing to do with covid of course, happens to be in Osaka

Concise point @P.Smith 7:20am -*“Not in my backyard!**”. - For ‘public health’ reasons, there are laws in place for the overall ‘greater good’. This person was within his legal rights but not with the prior *approval of the community.

*- “I could see it being laid out in the garden. It's disturbing because there had been no explanation whatsoever," a local resident said.” -*

There was a recent case in point when courts handed a woman a suspended prison term for the burying corpse of her 11-month-old daughter in the family’s garden. Many such ‘Japanese News’ stories about the lack of expeditious and/or appropriate disposal of corpses so, it’s understandable the community is upset and want to protect their property values.

If the lodging house was operating normally, the neighbours might be complaining about the noise and litter, or concerned that they might be living near transients, immigrants or tourists.

So this guys finds a solution. His guests are trouble free. They spend 24 hours reposing in a room and are then moved on to be dealt with.

Dying is normal. We'll all do it. Why do people make so much of a fuss about the normal things - love, death, sex - yet so often remain unperturbed by poverty, homelessness, loneliness, malnutrition and karoshi?

Dead or alive, treat it with respect. I don't see the big problem. For dust you are and unto dust you shall return. People should not be disturb by looking at a corpse which is already wrapped in cloth.

This is just wrong on so many levels!

The primary issue in Japan appears to be about retaining real estate value once there has been any connection to* ‘death’. *