itowa, a Funeral DX Company, Renews its Web Obituary Service as "Memory Note"

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## Press Release Information
Title: itowa, a Funeral DX Company, Renews its Web Obituary Service as "Memory Note"
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Body (first 8000 characters): Adding to its existing e-commerce functions, itowa integrates support and memorial features, offering a new form of remembrance that connects families, mourners, and funeral homes. "Turn time spent on preparations into time for remembrance."

itowa Inc. (Headquarters: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture; Representative Director: Mitsuru Sakamoto) announced that its web obituary service "itowa" will be renewed as "Memory Note," a family-participatory memorial platform, with sequential service provision starting from May 12, 2026. It integrates four support functions to reduce the burden of funeral preparations and four memorial functions to support the time spent remembering the deceased. It proposes a new form of remembrance where, triggered by an SMS from a funeral home, all family members can participate on a single page using LINE authentication and family nicknames.

Until now, "ending notes," which have become widely popular as a means of preparing for the end of life, were typically written by the individual alone. However, when families face a funeral, what they need is a guide for procedures, a place to remember the deceased, and a way to connect with distant relatives.

Furthermore, the AI foundation "itowa AI," announced on February 25, 2026, will also be implemented.

"Memory Note," proposed by itowa, is a family-participatory memorial platform born to meet these needs. If an ending note is "the individual's record," then Memory Note is "the family's memories." The subject of the page shifts from the individual to the family.

■ Background: Burden of Funeral Preparations and Voices of Families

According to the "Overview of Vital Statistics (Confirmed Figures) for Reiwa 6 (2024)" published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on September 25, 2025, the annual number of deaths in 2024 reached approximately 1.605 million, the highest since the survey began. With the advancement of a super-aging society, the number of deaths has increased for four consecutive years and is expected to continue rising.

At funeral sites, families are often overwhelmed with extensive preparations in a short period of 3 to 5 days, and many bereaved families express, "We don't know where to start." Our company has directly heard these voices from families through a cumulative 20,000 obituary registrations. This renewal to "Memory Note" reflects the knowledge accumulated during this process.

■ What is "Memory Note"?

Memory Note is a family-participatory memorial platform accessible via a URL sent to families by a funeral home via SMS.

While an ending note is something one writes alone, Memory Note is something families create together. No app download is required, and there are no usage fees.

Families participate using LINE authentication and family nicknames (e.g., "Father's eldest son," "Grandson Taro") to collaboratively build a single page.

"The subject of the page shifts to the family."

This is the experience design that Memory Note aims for.

Relationship with Ending Notes

Ending Note

Memory Note

(Starts May 2026)

My Page (During Life)

(From July 2026~)

Subject

Individual

Family/Mourners

Individual → Passed on to family

Timing

During life

After death

During life → Automatically deployed after death

Format

Mainly paper, individual

Digital, participatory

Digital, pre-registration

■ Main Features

Memory Note is composed of two pillars: "Support Functions" that accompany families during the immediate confusion after a death, and "Memorial Functions" that cherish the time spent remembering the deceased.

*No app download required, no usage fees.

Support Functions (4 functions)

① Checklist

Share and manage completion of pre- and post-funeral procedures with family. Completed tasks can be displayed with nicknames.

② AI-generated Obituary Message Creation

Automatically generates appropriate obituary messages by selecting 4 items. It supports company funerals and joint funerals, and can be adjusted for media with character limits such as X (formerly Twitter) and SMS. *Mourners (attendees) can also use this.

③ AI Concierge "Consult"

Provides 24-hour support for questions about funerals. It offers guidance based on the user's position (chief mourner/bereaved family/relatives/attendees) and provides accurate answers considering local customs and funeral home information. *Mourners (attendees) can also use this.

④ Online Condolence Money → Automatic Return Gift

Those who cannot attend the venue can send condolence money via credit card from afar. Condolence money is directly transferred to the family's account. Arrangement and shipping of return gifts are also handled automatically, reducing the effort of sending thank-you gifts.

Memorial Functions (4 functions)

⑤ Profile Photo Registration (AI Correction)

AI automatically corrects uploaded photos. It adjusts cropping and brightness to display the deceased's best photo in the optimal way.

⑥ Background Design

Multiple themes are available. Families can design a page that reflects the personality of the deceased.

⑦ Deceased Profile

Name, likes