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    Mourning Rituals in Japanese Culture 1

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    The document summarizes mourning rituals in Japanese culture. It describes the wake (tsuya) which is held the day after death, where the body is washed and placed in a casket surrounded by flowers. Guests wear black and burn incense while a priest chants. The funeral service (kokubetsu-shiki) is held the next day, following similar rituals but also giving the deceased a new name to prevent their spirit from returning. The body is then cremated and the ashes placed in an urn. Family visits the grave weekly during mourning periods and on specific memorial days, maintaining the grave with flowers and incense as a sign of respect.

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    Mourning Rituals in Japanese Culture 1

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    The document summarizes mourning rituals in Japanese culture. It describes the wake (tsuya) which is held the day after death, where the body is washed and placed in a casket surrounded by flowers. Guests wear black and burn incense while a priest chants. The funeral service (kokubetsu-shiki) is held the next day, following similar rituals but also giving the deceased a new name to prevent their spirit from returning. The body is then cremated and the ashes placed in an urn. Family visits the grave weekly during mourning periods and on specific memorial days, maintaining the grave with flowers and incense as a sign of respect.

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    The document summarizes mourning rituals in Japanese culture. It describes the wake (tsuya) which is held the day after death, where the body is washed and placed in a casket surrounded by flowers. Guests wear black and burn incense while a priest chants. The funeral service (kokubetsu-shiki) is held the next day, following similar rituals but also giving the deceased a new name to prevent their spirit from returning. The body is then cremated and the ashes placed in an urn. Family visits the grave weekly during mourning periods and on specific memorial days, maintaining the grave with flowers and incense as a sign of respect.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    20 views1 page

    Mourning Rituals in Japanese Culture 1

    Uploaded by

    api-697421490
    The document summarizes mourning rituals in Japanese culture. It describes the wake (tsuya) which is held the day after death, where the body is washed and placed in a casket surrounded by flowers. Guests wear black and burn incense while a priest chants. The funeral service (kokubetsu-shiki) is held the next day, following similar rituals but also giving the deceased a new name to prevent their spirit from returning. The body is then cremated and the ashes placed in an urn. Family visits the grave weekly during mourning periods and on specific memorial days, maintaining the grave with flowers and incense as a sign of respect.

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    Mourning Rituals in Japanese Culture

    Anahel Novo
    Wake Forest University

    The Wake (tsuya, kichu-fuda)


    The wake is held as close as possible to the moment of
    death, typically the day after. In preparation, families will
    handwash the body of the deceased before placing them
    in the casket for the wake. The casket is placed on a dais
    adorned with flowers. At the wake, all in attendance must
    wear black and a priest will lead the ritual chanting. Family
    members burn incense 3 times at the urn closest to the
    casket while other guests do the same behind them. It is
    common for the guests to give the family koden or a
    money gift to help with funeral expenses.

    Funeral Service (kokubetsu - shiki)


    The funeral service is held the day after the wake and follows the
    same rituals such as the chanting, praying, and burning of incense.
    However, the funeral service has a specific ceremony known as the
    tengoku ceremony where the priest gives the deceased a new name
    to be used in the afterlife. It is believed that if the deceased’s
    previous name was used, it would beckon the spirit back to Earth.
    After the ritual, families and guests can place flowers on the casket
    before it is nailed shut and taken to the crematorium.

    Cremation Process
    When the casket is taken to the crematorium, family members
    watch as it is placed in the cremation chamber. They then leave
    as the body is cremated and return later to collect the ashes.
    Some ashes are given to the family members to keep in the
    household shrine while the rest of the ashes and bones are
    placed in an urn. The bones are placed in a specific way so they
    are not upside-down in the urn. The urn is then taken to the
    family grave in the cemetery.

    Cemetery Visits

    Visiting graves is both an obligation and a privilege. Family


    and ancestor worship are important aspects in both Shintoism
    and Buddhism. Graves are maintained with fresh flowers and
    burnt incense as a sign of respect. Family members visit the
    grave once a week to pay respect during the mourning
    period. On the 3rd, 7th, and 49th days of mourning, there is a
    short memorial service held by a priest.

    Condolence. “Shinto: Periods of Mourning: Grieving.” Grieving | eCondolence.Com, www.econdolence.com/learning-center/religion-and-


    culture/shinto/shinto-periods-of-mourning.
    Kondo-Arita, Megumi, and Carl B Becker. “Changing Funerals and Their Effects on Bereavement in Japan.” Sage Journals, 21 Feb. 2023,
    journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00302228231158914.
    Wayne, James. “The Mourning Period in Japan.” Manly Manners, 9 Feb. 2016, manlymanners.wordpress.com/tag/the-mourning-period-in-japan/.

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