First-Ever 'Death-Themed' Social Event in Shibuya for Students and Working Adults: 'Drinking Night vol.3'

Sanwa Bussan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture; President: Masato Nishikawa) will hold 'Drinking Night vol.3' on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, from 7:00 PM at 'TOKYO CULTURE CULTURE' in Shibuya, Tokyo. (Ticket sales site: https://peatix.com/event/5004017/view) Japan is entering a 'multi-death society' where the annual number of deaths is steadily increasing. The annual death toll is expected to continue rising for some time, peaking around 2040. While opportunities to confront death are expected to increase more than ever, there remains a psychological barrier to talking about death, and it is rarely a topic of daily conversation. As a funeral goods manufacturer that has faced many deaths, Sanwa Bussan has seen many people who, after experiencing the loss of a loved one, confront their own way of living and life, and begin to move forward positively. Based on this experience, the company has been holding 'Drinking Night' irregularly since 2025, with the desire to create a place where people can think about better ways to live through contemplating death. 'Drinking Night' is a portmanteau of 'death' and 'thinking'. It is an event where people of all ages and backgrounds can talk about death over a drink. To date, over 100 students and working adults have participated. This time, the third 'Drinking Night', previously held in Kanazawa where Sanwa Bussan's headquarters is located, will be held in Tokyo for the first time. On the day, attendees can enjoy a 'coffin experience' where they can actually get inside a coffin, and a 'Drinking 16 Types' personality test to diagnose their own view of death. Furthermore, an experiential project called 'Candle of Life' by a student team from Kyoto University of the Arts will be held. This is a content piece utilizing a digital app created specifically for this event, where participants extend the length of a candle representing their lifespan by conversing with each other on the theme of death. An opening talk will also be held with a special guest, Dr. Shotaro Michishita from AFRODE CLINIC, who advocates for 'Well-dying', a concept of looking at life from the perspective of death. What is Drinking Night? 'Drinking' is a word coined by combining 'death' and 'thinking'. By thinking about the end that comes for everyone, you might find hints for life. Drinking Night is a place where you can talk about such themes with a drink in hand. (Details: https://note.com/sanwa_bussan/n/na6ca3017f58c) Date & Time: Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 19:00 - 21:00 (Doors open at 18:30) Venue: TOKYO CULTURE CULTURE (4F cocoti SHIBUYA, 1-23-16 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) Access: Directly in front of B1 exit of Tokyo Metro 'Shibuya Station' Participation Fee: 3,000 yen (includes light meal and drink) Capacity: 100 people (first-come, first-served) Target: University students, working adults Ticket Sales Site: https://peatix.com/event/5004017/view 1. Drinking 16 Types A content piece that diagnoses your view of death into 16 types based on your thoughts and values regarding death. Through the diagnosis results, you can learn what you value in life and how you want to face death. 2. Candle of Life An experiential content piece using a digital app by a student team from Kyoto University of the Arts. Participants hold a candle representing their own lifespan on the app and extend it by conversing with other participants on themes related to death. By visualizing limited time and touching upon differences and commonalities in values with others, it provides an opportunity to re-examine one's own way of living. 3. Coffin Experience An experiential content piece where participants enter Sanwa Bussan's original coffin 'Sakurakaze' and contemplate the end of life. While experiencing funeral goods that are usually hard to touch, it provides an opportunity to re-examine 'how you want to live' and 'what kind of life you want to lead'. 4. Special Guest An opening talk will be held with a special guest, Dr. Shotaro Michishita, a physician at AFRODE CLINIC and advocate of 'Well-dying'. Neurosurgeon / Certified Environmental and Aerospace Medicine Physician / Medical Stylist Graduated from Jikei University School of Medicine in 2015. Joined the university's Department of Neurosurgery. Obtained certification in Environmental and Aerospace Medicine the same year. In 2020, founded Re・habilitation Co., Ltd. to support people in creating positive and enriching time in the face of death or disability. The same year, expanded multiple clinics including AFRODE CLINIC in Omotesando, Ginza, and Shimbashi. In 2022, founded MS corporation Medical Wellness Partners and left the Department of Neurosurgery at Jikei University School of Medicine. The same year, progressed with the '31 Project' themed on Art × Medical, dealing with death shrouds, etc. Has extensive study abroad experience including Harvard University and National Taiwan University during his university years. About Sanwa Bussan A funeral goods manufacturer with the mission of 'creating new forms of farewell that make you feel connected'. In response to the current situation in Japan where death and farewells tend to be taboo, the company advocates 'redesigning the view of life and death' and aims to create a society where it is okay to think positively about life from the perspective of death. Urn Art Fair 'A・LIFE・FROM・DEATH - An Urn Exhibition as Art to Bring Death Back into Daily Life' An art fair co-hosted by Sanwa Bussan and B-OWND, which proposes crafts as art, under the concept of 'bringing places to feel death into daily life'. The venue exhibited and sold 17 art works themed on 'urns' by 9 artists highly acclaimed both domestically and internationally. Urns are often perceived as 'something to be placed in a special place' or 'something distant from daily life'. This exhibition featured new urns that go beyond their function as tools for holding ashes, serving as objects of appreciation that enrich daily life and can be enjoyed as art. The urns, designed to fit not only in Buddhist altars but also in living rooms and studies, create time for viewers to confront death and encourage awareness of living positively in the present. (Details: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000017.000144189.html) Company Overview Company Name: Sanwa Bussan Co., Ltd. Business: Manufacture and sale of funeral goods Representative: Masato Nishikawa (President) Head Office: Kanazawa Park Building 9F, 3-1-1 Hirooka, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture 920-0031 (Kanazawa Head Office) Branches: Tokyo Office, Osaka Office, Fukuoka Office, Nagoya Factory, Kanagawa Factory, Sapporo Sales Office Established: April 9, 1959