As the global population continues to grow, space for putting the dead to rest is at a premium. In the United States, some of the biggest cities are a

‘Tree Burials’ Are Gaining Popularity in Japan as Gravesite Space Decreases

submited by
Style Pass
2021-06-21 23:30:05

As the global population continues to grow, space for putting the dead to rest is at a premium. In the United States, some of the biggest cities are already short on burial land, and so are many other nations around the world.

At the same time, many nations are transforming funerary rituals, changing the way cemeteries operate and even destroying historic cemeteries to reclaim land for the living. In Singapore, for example, the government has forcibly demolished family tombs in favor of columbariums, structures that can hold the urns of the cremated. Grave spaces in the city-state can be used only for a term of 15 years, after which the remains are cremated and the space is used for another burial.

In Hong Kong, gravesites are among the most expensive real estate per square foot and the government has enlisted pop stars and other celebrities to promote cremation over physical burial.

As a scholar who studies Buddhist funerary rituals and narratives about the afterlife, what interests me are the innovative responses in some Buddhist majority nations and the tensions that result as environmental needs clash with religious beliefs.

Leave a Comment