Mourners can send off deceased loved ones in DRIVE-THROUGH funeral – and it takes just three minutes
With the largest ageing population in the world, the number of funerals in Japan is on the rise. To allow as many people to grieve as possible, funeral homes are now offering drive-through mourning, where you never have to leave your car
A FUNERAL home in Japan is set to introduce the country's first drive-through funeral service.
And while the concept may suggest a fast-paced society that barely even has time to mourn anymore, the idea has been credited as a way to help more people deal with the consequences of an ageing population.
The South Ueda Palace of Rest is due to open later this year, and will give mourners the chance to light incense, pray and sign the book of condolence from inside their vehicle while a regular service for the departed operates inside the funeral home.
All of this will take just three minutes, drastically cutting down the amount of time spent at a regular funeral.
As part of the process, a black-clad attendant will wait behind a window and pass the incense into the car, along with the book of condolence to be signed on a tablet computer.
A live image of mourners praying is even broadcast onto a screen for the bereaved family inside the hall to see.
And while it might seem insensitive to rush through the formalities of laying someone to rest, the undertaker behind the idea has defended the concept.
He claimed that it provides a way to better deal with the vast amount of mourners, as the number of funerals continues to increase due to a rapidly ageing population.
Masao Ogiwara said the drive-through funerals will allow more people to say their goodbyes where they may not have had the opportunity in the past.
He said: "People pass judgement on us because they don't look beyond the words 'drive-in funeral'.
"But Japan is the most elderly society in the world and this will allow people to say their goodbye. This is not about business; it is our duty.
"If someone is unable to attend a funeral of a dear friend, they will always be left with a feeling of regret.
"Enabling people to overcome that and to console the spirits of the dead, that is the purpose of our business."
A quarter of people in Japan are over 65 and the birthrate is in long-term decline.
In Japanese culture, a full funeral including speeches, lighting incense, prayer and the wake can last three hours - a lengthy process which frail elderly people often struggle to attend.
