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Nagano drive-thru funeral home to serve less mobile mourners

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Drive through funeral...well death and dying is still an opportunity to make a profit so what the heck.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Funeral = Money

Disgusting!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Best thing about funerals is meeting friends and family and the food. I hope fast food joints aren’t watching this closely.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Ever been to a Japanese Funeral service?

More dry, ritualistic and boring than a J-Wedding.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

What an absolute disgrace.

Shame.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

ano thing I find puzzling is the price of grave stones in Japan, one could purchase a nice car or an expensive cruise!

When I go just reduce me to ashes and let the wind carry me wherever it may.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Someone in your family died. but you can't be bothered to get out of your car?

2 ( +6 / -4 )

allowing mourners to pay their respects without getting out of the car.

Pay their respects? Pay the reaper (funeral home) is more like it. Death is a big money business in Japan.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Educator60,

It is primarily aimed at allowing seniors and the disabled to attend funerals, but may also be used in future by people short on time.

people short on time? also, that guy in the picture doesn't look like seniors or disabled (he's in the driver seat).

2 ( +3 / -1 )

What's the point of attending if you don't even get out of car?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Someone in your family died. but you can't be bothered to get out of your car?

Typically at Japanese funerals, the family are on the "receiving" side waiting with the deceased, while others pay their respects. As Goodlucktoyou said above, if you were close to the person, you get to meet other family members, and get to eat and drink. If you're really lucky, you'll be eating and drinking with the corpse stretched out next to you. It can be much more fun than a wedding.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Freshmeat,

also, that guy in the picture doesn’t look like seniors (sic) or disabled (he’s in the driver (sic) seat).

You are correct. He is neither a senior nor disabled. He’s also an employee of the funeral home demonstrating how to use the drive-through window, according to the caption.

I think the most important part of the window is the camera that shows the people inside who is using the window. Appearing at a funeral/wedding is important to some; the actual feeling the mourners/celebrators have is not so important.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

In that case why even have a funeral? That seems a bit disrespectful.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Wanting to pay your respects is a natural human emotion, so there is nothing to discuss there. What might be interesting is who gets to decide what a socially acceptable way of doing so is. For people with mobility issues, this method may be the most practical, I couldn't tell you. In cultures where drive-thru=MacDonalds=junk, it would be socially unacceptable.

If you've not seen it, the Juzo Itami film about a Japanese funeral is brilliant, one of his best.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Next up....DIY cremations at home.  Ashes will be picked up by a drone sent by Amazon.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Ever been to a Japanese Funeral service?

More dry, ritualistic and boring than a J-Wedding.

I’d put them on the same level.

Daylight robbery.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

DIsabled people can drive.

One of my coworkers in Tokyo is a wheelchair user, and drives a car with hand controls.

This new window would be very convenient for him because it takes considerable time for him to get himself out of the driver's seat and into his wheelchair, then wheel himself into the building.

Also, how long and boring and elaborate and expensive funerals are is up to the persons making the arrangements.

I was the chief mourner for my best friend's funeral this year at the Ichikawa City Memorial Building / Crematorium.

No priests, no long service, just friends and students and a couple of coworkers, plus one friend participating from California on Skype.

We arranged it the way we (and he) wanted it. Short and simple.

And no grave - we took the cremains to the temple of his choice and made a small donation.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@educator

yes. I think it’s ridiculous .

The article states that it is for disabled and those short on time.

okay, for those short on time it’s absurd.

How short on time would anyone be to not be able to get out of a car.

A President?

if Trump or Obama did it what would you say?

Disabled?

You mean a disabled person is young to shower, get dressed, go out to a car, drive or get driven all the way to a funeral home, and then not want to get out of the car?

no. It’s just publicity for the company.

It will probably backfire.

If it doesnt and eventually people do this who are “short on time” then it will be evidence of a problem in society.

If you go to a funeral, get out of your car - or don’t go.

If you are that sick sick or disabled to not get out of your car then everyone would understand.

But drive through windows?

I repeat. If you can get into a black suit, get into a car and go to a funeral parlor you can get out of the car.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

What a ridiculous idea, trying to make things easier for the disabled. How dare they.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

No. Just no.

A touching part of a Japanese funeral is the farewell, when bereaved can caress the departed one last time and leave tokens in the casket which will be cremated along with him or her.

Meaningless, perhaps - but meaningful.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This was posted originally months ago but the BBC seems to have picked it up now.

Doubt that they would allow everyone attending a funeral do use the drive-thru window, imagine the amount of cars queueing up.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

We arranged it the way we (and he) wanted it. Short and simple.

mother in law died a while back. first i had to stay awake for 24 hours in a small room with her dead body wrapped in white cloth. i had to constantly burn incenses and candles. no tv, music or smartphones allowed. then there were 3 wakes in the expensive funeral home. one for immediate family, one for everyone and one for extended family. entrance has taxi parking for old and disabled. plus putting her body in the incinerator and using big chopsticks to pick out the bones. after 49 days there is a big ceremony staying in an onsen one night. very expensive. then take some bones to the choice of temples, very expensive. grave is price of a small car. also, had to buy custom clothes for the 3 days of funeral. then there is paying the monk once a month to come to our home to pray, enjoy expensive tea and sembai. for my family, no comedy was allowed for two years, but another family i know was one year. every morning had to burn incense and give otherings in the small shrine thingy in the tatami room.

i can understand some people may want to give 20000yen through the window of the car, pick up their gift bag and drive 3 hours back to Tokyo.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Funeral = Money 

Disgusting!

A widow with three children may not agree. They need you support, as in cash, and not your tears and snotty tissues.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

What a shame, that death has become a business trip and looks like an ordinary walk in cafe . It is unfortunate that we as human beings stoop too low and have gone to the extend of demeaning the departed soul. Time and death wait for none and if no one turns up for funeral, what is a great deal. It is better not to demean the dead and the death itself. We seemed to have not understood the concept of death. Whoever is born, has to die.

The death is as sacred as birth. It does not mean that some friends and relatives have to come to funeral in cars and sit in cars and drive out of car to pay respect to departed soul. It is better , let no one turn to watch the funeral of departed soul, than to treat the dead like any other commodity.

The journey, which has started in the womb of mother, should end at the funeral. But with respect and decency it deserves. No one knows, where the departed soul go. But according to Hindu tradition, the departed soul watch till the 12th day the happenings around the departed soul and till the customs of sending the departed soul is over, it moves around and watch the proceedings. Let us respect death with respect and decency.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

The journey, which has started in the womb of mother, should end at the funeral. But with respect and decency it deserves. No one knows, where the departed soul go. But according to Hindu tradition, the departed soul watch till the 12th day the happenings around the departed soul and till the customs of sending the departed soul is over, it moves around and watch the proceedings. Let us respect death with respect and decency.

Fascinating.

How much do the priests charge and do they pay tax!?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I can understand rituals being a hassle, but if they can do drive thru style. It’s better to simplify the rituals and let anyone who wanted to pay their respect to the deceased to come in bow, offer condolences then walk away. No need for the priests, food, gifts, party etc. Not even bother to get off their car is a disrespect to the deceased, better off if they don’t attend. Bank transfer to the widow and kids if you want to help out will do.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Japanese funerals are over long, rigid, unnecessarily complicated money making machines. It doesn't have to be that way, but people feel pressured into having all the bells and whistles. People should tell their nearest and dearest what kind of funeral they want, saves a lot of expense and stress for those left behind.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

In asia (generally), the funeral business is usually lucrative as many people does not want to be in this line due to taboos, beliefs, etc. Pretty much a cultural thing. And most people will deem funeral as important for this last thing they can do for their parents/etc etc.

another thing is, most of us now doesnt know the rites, procedures, etc for a funeral, thus we are technically "paying" for the "guidance". But nowadays many rites/procedures are getting "streamlined" or "minimised" compared to the old tradtional way.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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