usatoday24
Japan and their society have been immersed in a process of transformation where the role of “foreigner” every time It is more important. Waves arrive in the country, and in many cases to stay. The clearest example is giving with many Chinese who They arrive not to returnbut it is exponential to all nations. This is resulting in the population of advanced foreign residents is increasing, and with it, of deaths.
A problem that nobody saw. I told this one Nikkei weekend. Foreign residents in Japan are dealing with serious difficulties in burying their loved ones. The reason? The Cremation predominancewhich has become the norm in the country. He 99.99% of the deceased In Japan they are cremated, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, which leaves those who require burial for religious reasons or simply by tradition with very few options.
The problem is especially critical for Muslim and Christian communitieswhich consider unacceptable cremation. The situation is aggravated as the foreign population ages and grows the demand for burial spaces, which has turned the issue into an increasingly urgent challenge for the nation.
Examples of a crisis. In the medium report they had a case that occurred last January after the death of A Pakistani man in Kanagawa which unleashed a frantic search for a cemetery that allowed its burial. His family, with limited resources, could not repatriate his body, and after multiple rejections and high costs, they finally managed to bury him in the Cemetery Honojo Kodama in Saitama, for a amount of 300,000 yen (around 2,000 euros), paid by friends of the community.
There are more similar cases that are repeated throughout the country. For example, that of a Korean Christian woman 80 years old who died in October, and his son took a month and a half to find a burial site. During that time, his body had to be stored in a police installation.
Factors that hinder burials. There are several keys to understanding the controversy around the shortage of cemeteries that allow burials. The first one already said: the predominance of cremation. Japan has gone from burying their dead to incinerate them almost entirely in the last 50 years. In 1913, only 31% of the deceased were cremated, but by 1934 it had already become the majority practice due to health concerns and lack of space.
But there is more. Another problem is derived from The scarcity of landsince the large amount of land necessary for cemeteries in a country with limited space is a key obstacle. Also the Environmental concernssince there is fear that burials contaminating groundwater (although there is no clear evidence that supports said statement). Finally, it points to the local community resistancesince in many regions residents oppose the construction of new cemeteries, which has frustrated several projects.
The aging of the “foreigners” and the future impact. Japan currently houses 3.41 million foreign residentsof which 220,000 are 65 years or older, an increase of 150% in the last decade. The aging of this population implies that the demand for burials will only grow in the coming years.
In this regard, Professor Hirofumi Tanada, an expert in the Muslim community in Japan, estimates that there are around 350,000 Muslims in the countryfacing problems similar to those of other religious minorities. Tanada warned that in 10 or 15 years could be even more difficult Find places of burial, which will intensify the crisis.
Regional disparity in the availability of cemeteries. Another of the problems of the problem. Japan presents strong regional inequalities In access to cemeteries. Namely: while in the Kanto region (which includes Tokyo and its surroundings) there are four private cemeteries that allow burials, in regions such as Tohoku and Kyushu have none.
Again: despite the growing need, the efforts to create new cemeteries have found obstacles. Last December, the governor of Miyagi proposed to build a cemetery in the region, but received an avalanche of calls and emails from Citizens expressing your opposition.
The attempt of a Muslim cemetery. It happened in 2018when the Beppu Muslim Association in Oita Prefecture tried to build a cemetery in the town of Hiji. After seven years of negotiations, they finally agreed with local authorities and residents to build the cemetery in municipal land, with conditions such as the limitation of the use of the cemetery to residents of Kyushu and a regular monitoring of water quality.
However, The project was canceled When a new mayor revoked the sale of the land, citing environmental concerns. This left the Muslim community without viable options in the region.
Proposals and barriers for a solution. Professor Khan Muhammad Tahir Abbas, director of the Beppu Muslim Association, told that the lack of cemeteries not only affects foreigners, but also Naturalized Japanese and converts to Islam or Christianity. Since 2021, requests have been presented to the Ministry of Social Welfare requesting the creation of adequate cemeteries for religious minorities. However, to date, Japan has not adopted No clear policy about itarguing that differences in customs and beliefs make it difficult to implement a standard solution.
Meanwhile, other countries have managed to integrate religious burials into their funeral infrastructure. In Norway, the United States, Canada or Singapore, among others, specific sections have been designated in public cemeteries for Muslims and other religious minorities.
A challenge that the nation cannot ignore. With the Foreign resident figures In hand, Japan is facing a problem that cannot be ignored. The lack of accessible cemeteries For this group it is a challenge that will only be aggravated over time. Although the cremation remains the norm, the aging of the foreign community demands a more inclusive answer by the Japanese government.
As They explained in Nikkeiif the nation wants to fulfill its objective of being a more diverse and cozy society, it should facilitate solutions that allow religious minorities to bury their dead with dignity. This requires overcoming the local opposition, adapting funeral policies and developing adequate infrastructure, as other nations with diverse populations have already made. Meanwhile, many foreign families in Japan are still trapped in the anguish of not knowing if they can bury their loved ones in the country they have called home for decades.
Image | Geoff Whalan
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