FP Office Wincam Launches "Umi-tabi" Marine Scattering Service in Amami Oshima
FP office Wincam, in collaboration with WataSelica, will launch "Umi-tabi," a marine scattering service, in Amami Oshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, from May 1, 2026. This service is offered as part of end-of-life support, leveraging Wincam's expertise in life planning consultations, in response to the deepening "grave problem" caused by the declining birthrate and aging population.
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- 📰 Published: April 30, 2026 at 18:00
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Wincam Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture; Representative Director: Sachiko Yoshikawa; hereinafter "Wincam") will collaborate with WataSelica Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Masatoshi Akabane; hereinafter "WataSelica") to launch "Umi-tabi," a marine scattering service, in Amami Oshima, Kagoshima Prefecture (off Kakeromajima Island) starting May 1, 2026. As a financial planner (FP) office, Wincam has previously handled consultations on life plans and asset formation. Through life plan consultations, we frequently heard voices such as "there is no successor for the grave" and "I want to have an end that is true to myself." Leveraging our FP knowledge, we are developing this service as part of our end-of-life support.
## Background
### Deepening "Grave Problem" Caused by Declining Birthrate and Aging Population
Amidst the progression of the declining birthrate, aging population, nuclear families, and non-marriage, the problem of being unable to maintain ancestral "family graves" is becoming serious. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of "grave removals/relocations" reached 176,105 cases in FY2024, a rapid increase of approximately double compared to 10 years ago. (*1)
"No successor" is cited as the most common reason for concerns when choosing a grave (*2), and there is a growing demand for flexible memorial methods not bound by traditional grave formats.
Against this background, the demand for marine scattering is rapidly expanding. The Japan Marine Scattering Association announced that the number of services performed by member businesses increased from approximately 1,049 cases in 2018 to 6,690 cases in FY2025 (*3). "Marine scattering" is now considered not a special option, but a form of memorial service that responds to the needs of the times and is steadily spreading.
*1: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare "FY2023 Health Administration Report"
*2: Hasegawa Co., Ltd. "Survey on the Reality of Graves" (2024)
*3: Japan Marine Scattering Association, Annual Number of Scattering Cases
### Money Consultations Inevitably Lead to the Question of "Death"
Our company has handled numerous consultations on overall life plans, including retirement fund planning, insurance reviews, and inheritance measures. Through these, we strongly felt that the design of "how to live" ultimately leads to the question of "how to die." In fact, a client in their late 50s who was consulting on retirement funds confided their grave concerns. They were in a desperate situation where they had no children and no one could manage the joint grave with their deceased spouse. There was also a case where a family who requested inheritance measures spent more time discussing "what kind of end their father wished for" than calculating asset division.
Through these experiences, we became convinced that "designing a life plan for old age means designing the entire life, including how to die."
### Why Kakeromajima Was Chosen
Among many options, Kakeromajima, an island beyond Amami Oshima in Kagoshima Prefecture, was chosen as the stage due to the unique richness of its sea. Marine scattering is not merely a "method of disposing of remains." The time when the bereaved family boards a boat and bids farewell to their loved one on the waves is an irreplaceable "farewell ceremony." We chose this location because we believe that the clear blue sea of Kakeromajima will deepen and beautify the bonds and memories between the bereaved family and the deceased.
## Reasons for FP Businesses to Enter Marine Scattering
### Three Values Only FPs Can Provide
* One-stop support from life plan consultation to end-of-life planning and scattering.
* Transparent explanation of money, costs, and procedures, and advice including the impact on household finances.
* Ability to design "a dignified end" together with clients within a long-term trusting relationship.
What is important in life planning as an FP is to share the client's views on life and death, values, and what they have cherished in life. We strongly feel that this leads to the design of a more accurate and truly suitable life plan for that person. For our company, as an FP office, to handle marine scattering means getting closer to being someone with whom clients can confide their thoughts on "their own death," which they might find difficult to discuss even with family. We believe that finding answers together while empathizing with their deep-seated anxieties and emotions is an important role for an FP who accompanies them through life.
## Service Design and Plan Details
### Service Content
| Plan Name | Charter Scattering Plan | Proxy Scattering Plan |
| :-------------------- | :---------------------- | :-------------------- |
| Price (incl. tax) | 264,000 yen | 77,000 yen |
| Scattering Area | Amami Oshima (off Kakeromajima Island) | Amami Oshima (off Kakeromajima Island) |
| Included | Boarding fee for up to 6 people, vessel/pier usage fee, memorial flowers (petals), scattering certificate issuance, photo provision | Bone pulverization fee (1 urn), vessel/pier usage fee, memorial flowers (petals), scattering certificate issuance, photo provision |
| Content | Date/Time, etc. | |
## Background
### Deepening "Grave Problem" Caused by Declining Birthrate and Aging Population
Amidst the progression of the declining birthrate, aging population, nuclear families, and non-marriage, the problem of being unable to maintain ancestral "family graves" is becoming serious. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of "grave removals/relocations" reached 176,105 cases in FY2024, a rapid increase of approximately double compared to 10 years ago. (*1)
"No successor" is cited as the most common reason for concerns when choosing a grave (*2), and there is a growing demand for flexible memorial methods not bound by traditional grave formats.
Against this background, the demand for marine scattering is rapidly expanding. The Japan Marine Scattering Association announced that the number of services performed by member businesses increased from approximately 1,049 cases in 2018 to 6,690 cases in FY2025 (*3). "Marine scattering" is now considered not a special option, but a form of memorial service that responds to the needs of the times and is steadily spreading.
*1: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare "FY2023 Health Administration Report"
*2: Hasegawa Co., Ltd. "Survey on the Reality of Graves" (2024)
*3: Japan Marine Scattering Association, Annual Number of Scattering Cases
### Money Consultations Inevitably Lead to the Question of "Death"
Our company has handled numerous consultations on overall life plans, including retirement fund planning, insurance reviews, and inheritance measures. Through these, we strongly felt that the design of "how to live" ultimately leads to the question of "how to die." In fact, a client in their late 50s who was consulting on retirement funds confided their grave concerns. They were in a desperate situation where they had no children and no one could manage the joint grave with their deceased spouse. There was also a case where a family who requested inheritance measures spent more time discussing "what kind of end their father wished for" than calculating asset division.
Through these experiences, we became convinced that "designing a life plan for old age means designing the entire life, including how to die."
### Why Kakeromajima Was Chosen
Among many options, Kakeromajima, an island beyond Amami Oshima in Kagoshima Prefecture, was chosen as the stage due to the unique richness of its sea. Marine scattering is not merely a "method of disposing of remains." The time when the bereaved family boards a boat and bids farewell to their loved one on the waves is an irreplaceable "farewell ceremony." We chose this location because we believe that the clear blue sea of Kakeromajima will deepen and beautify the bonds and memories between the bereaved family and the deceased.
## Reasons for FP Businesses to Enter Marine Scattering
### Three Values Only FPs Can Provide
* One-stop support from life plan consultation to end-of-life planning and scattering.
* Transparent explanation of money, costs, and procedures, and advice including the impact on household finances.
* Ability to design "a dignified end" together with clients within a long-term trusting relationship.
What is important in life planning as an FP is to share the client's views on life and death, values, and what they have cherished in life. We strongly feel that this leads to the design of a more accurate and truly suitable life plan for that person. For our company, as an FP office, to handle marine scattering means getting closer to being someone with whom clients can confide their thoughts on "their own death," which they might find difficult to discuss even with family. We believe that finding answers together while empathizing with their deep-seated anxieties and emotions is an important role for an FP who accompanies them through life.
## Service Design and Plan Details
### Service Content
| Plan Name | Charter Scattering Plan | Proxy Scattering Plan |
| :-------------------- | :---------------------- | :-------------------- |
| Price (incl. tax) | 264,000 yen | 77,000 yen |
| Scattering Area | Amami Oshima (off Kakeromajima Island) | Amami Oshima (off Kakeromajima Island) |
| Included | Boarding fee for up to 6 people, vessel/pier usage fee, memorial flowers (petals), scattering certificate issuance, photo provision | Bone pulverization fee (1 urn), vessel/pier usage fee, memorial flowers (petals), scattering certificate issuance, photo provision |
| Content | Date/Time, etc. | |