Unclaimed Bodies

I like to read news items in Japan, and often they are things I had never thought about.  I have to share them because you may not have known about them either.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare in fiscal year 2023 in Japan, there were 4200 unclaimed bodies that had to be cremated by local governments.  This is about 2.7% of deaths in 2023. 

The Ministry claims the increase in elderly people living alone and the weakening of family ties have led to an increase in solitary deaths. The number of elderly people with no relatives is expected to continue to increase, making it an issue for local governments to streamline cremation and burial procedures. 

While out walking, I have discovered the crematory on the edge of my town. It always seems to be very busy, with cars driving in and out of the lot. I think almost everyone is cremated here in Japan. 

This story has me wondering what percent of deaths are unclaimed in other countries. I turned to the internet to try to find an answer for the US.  There is no federal agency that tracks this information in the US (and if there had been, DOGE would have gotten rid of it), but it is estimated to be between 2 and 4%. Areas with higher numbers of unhoused people have higher numbers of unclaimed bodies. 

No one wants to think about dying, but I think it’s important to plan ahead. Cremation can cost between 1.2 million yen for a basic cremation to up to 3 million yen for a Buddhist service and cremation. Start saving your yennies so you won’t be a burden on your local government.

Sakura at Shimoshimizuhachiman Shrine

Yesterday I took a walk to see the sakura in bloom at this shrine.

This big old tree is a power spot for longevity.

This sign tells about the history of the shrine and lists two annual festivals, with one being April 9th and 10th! Rain is forecast for those two days next week, but I might try to walk to the shrine again next week.

This shrine cat was ignoring me.

This is the view walking back to the street.

International Court of Justice President

The International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ top court in the Hague, Netherlands, elected Japanese judge Yuji Iwasawa, as its new president. Iwasawa is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, holds an LLB from University of Tokyo Faculty of Law and an LLM from Harvard Law School. He has been a member of the International Court of Justice since 2018.  Before that he was a professor of international law at the University of Tokyo and chairperson of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. He has written or contributed to 10 books in Japanese and five others in English dealing with international law and organizations.

End of Club Activities

In Japan, the new work year and new school year begin the first of April. There are entrance ceremonies at work places and schools. It’s a busy time for moving companies and apartment rentals, and the time for a new start. In addition to academics, junior high and high school students choose a club or extra curricular activity to be involved in. Many schools make these club or sports activities mandatory.

Not everyone agrees that these club activities are good. The city of Kobe has announced it will be completely eliminating all junior high school teams and clubs beginning this school year. The city’s board of education gives two reasons for their decision. With the falling birthrate in Japan, the board states it is more and more difficult to maintain clubs and athletic programs with such small enrollments.  There aren’t enough student members to fill the roster and it is not practical to make use of facilities for small groups. The second reason is the time demands for school teachers who are the club coaches and advisors. Teachers work long hours, and the board of education is concerned about teachers being overworked. 

The city plans to establish a system called Kobe Katsu (Kobe extra curricular activities), where students can participate in non-school sports and cultural activities as replacements for the previous school sponsored activities. This sounds like a greater opportunity to match students with their interests and to meet people outside their own schools. 

Kobe Board of Education head Yaunori Fukamoto is optimistic about the plan, the first of its kind in Japan, saying, “We hope this will allow students, according to their individual circumstances, to make their own choices about how to use their time.”

Work in Progress Wednesday

New Project - the Dressing Gown

I really like the YouTube channel called The Last Homely House, and have been watching previous episodes.  Kate made a “dressing gown” out of ten inch Indian print fabrics.  I thought maybe I could make I could make some kind of similar robe out of cuts of kimono fabrics I have. I haven’t gotten very far with this, as I’ve only just started cutting some ten inch squares.

The Dogwood Afghan - I finished the fourth square.

Japanese Pattern 39

Official Imperial Family YouTube Channel Debuts Today

 

Today at 10:00 am, Japan’s Imperial Household Agency will launch its official YouTube channel to showcase the activities of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, as well as other members of the imperial family. I look forward to watching and learning more about the imperial family. The comment section of the channel will be closed, but opinions are welcome on the Imperial Household Agency’s official website.

Update: Here’s the link 

Monday Morning Star Count

This is coming along well.  I have about half of the hexagon weeks quilted.

Sakura no Sato Park and Omuroyama

Friday, I went to the Sakura no Sato Park at the foot of Omuro. There are 1000 cherry trees of 40 different varieties that bloom at different times. It had rained all morning, but was clearing and only a bit windy by the time I got there.

After walking around the park and taking pictures, we went to Omuroyama and rode the chair lift to the top. You are not allowed to walk up, so the chair lift is the only way to get up or down. I’ve been here several times, but the chair lift wasn’t running those times because of wind or weather, so it was good the morning rain stopped and the wind calmed.

The line to buy tickets was long, but it kept moving.

This the chair lift at the top.

In the middle of the crater is an archery range.

There is a path to walk around the rim.

It was breezy at times and the clouds were blowing across the top.

The views from the top are gorgeous.

This is looking back to the chair lift and rest area.

There are two shrine areas along the rim.

After making the full circle, we decided to have a snack before taking the lift down again.

My choice was dango - a chewy ball made of rice, and mine has a soy sauce glaze.

After eating this treat, it was time to go down the chair lift and to the train station to go home.