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The last journey home -- repatriating the deceased from Japan and abroad

10 Comments
By David Hueston

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What's with the recent spate of dealing with the "How Japan Handles the Dead, Alone or Abroad" or "This is what happens AFTER you've gone"?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Ahhh, the important bit:

Her dyed short hairstyle, colorful makeup and affable nature are not what one would expect from an undertaker. Kimura's philosophy on dignity in death, about which she almost feels "as if I were possessed," would seem to be guided by a higher power.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

A valuable service. A good friend recently died in Canada, and it is taking more than 2 weeks to return his body to his family in India. The administration, procedures and paperwork are unbelievable; adding to the burden of an already upset spouse and family. Kudos to anyone who can help smooth out the final journey.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Cremation, baby. That's what I want.

I think it is so important for us to inform those who will be in charge of dealing with this after we are dead, what we want, what we don't want, what is or isn't important, and what does not need throwing god money after bad.

Otherwise those poor people struggle to do the best, do what s/he would have wanted, when they aren't sure what that is.

I find offensive the expensive rigmarole around funerals - what started as commonsense practicalities, like fast cremation due to the climate for example, has turned into bloated, rigid rules which the grieving feel they ought to stick to when they really don't, not any more.

I find despicable and immoral the funeral companies who deal with the grief-stricken. They are money-grubbing manipulators, shaming people into spending more than they need, pushing them into causing no fuss for the company.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

When I die. Stick me in a brown cardboard box and do what you will with it. Use the money you saved to have a booze up. I'll be somewhere looking down on the party listening to all the lies (good and bad) about me.

Seriously...its a great service they provide.

But I wonder about the cost and whether they are taking advantage of a very stressful situation for the NOK?

A seat on an aircraft costs me less than a grand to fly home. How do they get 14 grand?

I can get boxed and grilled for far less back home.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

The world's sexiest undertaker???? Sure beats Boris Karloff!

Her dyed short hairstyle, colorful makeup and affable nature are not what one would expect from an undertaker. Kimura's philosophy on dignity in death, about which she almost feels "as if I were possessed," would seem to be guided by a higher power.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Truly informative to hear about what might be involved.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

What is business is business when somebody of the family has to do in cases like that (at those moments of difficult time). I didn't realize that when I was a child checking funerals in Christian ways abroad and Buddhist way in Japan, I thought all could be from charity...But now I understood it is kind of "business" that even critical statements come from religious part, this business someone has to do with the family the proceeds in convenient ways to the body arrives his homeland. And just to understand it isn't cheap either way this business exists or not.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

For me, just a party and all my money to Sea Shepherd.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

They fled to Japan and obtained (Japanese) nationality but didn't speak any Japanese.

I HIGHLY doubt this happened. I think they might have obtained a special permanent residency, but it takes a lot more (including basic Japanese proficiency) in order to obtain the citizenship...

4 ( +5 / -1 )

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