【Special Feature】Considering the Past and Future of Japanese Funeral Styles from the Perspective of Earth Burial

Kamakura Shinsho Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Fumio Kobayashi; TSE Prime: 6184; hereinafter: "the Company"), which provides various services related to "end-of-life planning" for which demand is increasing against the backdrop of a super-aging society, has issued the May 2026 issue of 'Gekkan Shūkatsu' (Monthly End-of-Life Planning).

This month's issue features an extensive special report that considers the past and future of Japanese funeral styles, which are constantly changing, with a key focus on "earth burial," which has largely become a "relic of the past" in Japan.

【Special Feature】Considering the Past and Future of Japanese Funeral Styles from the Perspective of Earth Burial

Over the past 100 years, Japanese funeral styles have almost completely shifted from earth burial to cremation. Why is that? On the other hand, why are troubles occurring in various parts of Japan regarding Muslim earth burial grounds, as Islam prohibits cremation? This 28-page special feature delves into "Japan's earth burial problem" in the Reiwa era.

PART 1: The 100-Year History of Earth Burial in Japan

How did Japan "forget" earth burial over the past 100 years? We trace its trajectory with a timeline and data.

PART 2: "Islamic Cemetery" and a Temple in Yamanashi

We interview the chief priest of Manjuin Temple, a Sōtō Zen Buddhist temple in Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, which has accepted Muslim earth burials for over 60 years, about the unique history behind it.

Manjuin Temple in Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture (Photo: Shuhei Nishida)

PART 3: The History of Ancient Japanese Earth Burial

Shofukuji Temple, a Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist temple in Higashiōmi City, Shiga Prefecture, has long preserved the custom of "ryōbo-sei" (two-grave system): a "burying grave" for earth burial and a "worshiping grave" for visitation. We interview the chief priest about this fading tradition and its historical background.

PART 4: The Current State of "Ryōbo-sei" in Manga

As a special edition of the popular manga series "Satoshi Karasuya's 'End-of-Life Revolution'," the ryōbo-sei cemetery in Higashiōmi City, Shiga Prefecture, introduced in PART 3, will be depicted in more detail in manga format.

Featured Articles in This Issue:

・Interview: "I Mourn, Therefore I Am"

Fourth Guest: Actor/Talent Doku Mushi Santa-o

The fourth guest in the highly popular interview series is none other than Doku Mushi Santa-o, who turns 90 this year.

He talks about his Edoite mother and his biological father, and how his lively mother's first husband is "sleeping together" with them in a temple cemetery in Yanaka, Tokyo—a life filled with laughter and tears.

Mr. Doku Mushi Santa-o (Photo: Yasuyuki Emori)

・Popular Series: Conditions for a Chosen Cemetery

Eitai Kuyōbo (Perpetual Memorial Grave) and Jumokuso (Tree Burial) at Fujimitsu-zan Hokkeji Temple (Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture)

・Reading the News in the "Ending Industry"

[General News] Media influence behind the penetration of "end-of-life planning" among young people

[Industry News] Cremation or earth burial, or alkaline hydrolysis?

And many other columns and series.

【Recommended for】

✓ Business operators in the funeral, memorial, and end-of-life planning industries

✓ Municipal and welfare-related staff

✓ People in their 50s with elderly parents

✓ Singles and people without children

✓ General consumers interested in end-of-life planning

Purchase Subscriptions/Single Issues Here:

'Gekkan Shūkatsu' is available for regular subscription or single-issue purchase.

【Regular Subscription (Annual Subscription)】

https://www.fujisan.co.jp/product/1281691655/

Single Issue Purchase (May 2026 issue)

https://www.fujisan.co.jp/product/1281691655/new/

Media Overview

Media Name: 'Gekkan Shūkatsu'

Publisher: Kamakura Shinsho Co., Ltd.

Readership: Temples, Buddhist altar and tool shops, funeral homes, stone shops, cemetery developers, general consumers

Annual Subscription Fee: 16,500 yen (tax included)

Official Website: https://butsuji.net/

Inquiries Regarding 'Gekkan Shūkatsu'

Kamakura Shinsho Co., Ltd. Gekkan Shūkatsu Editorial Department

Kenmatsu Building 3F, 2-14-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0031

TEL: 03-6262-3527 E-mail: books@kamakura-net.co.jp

URL: https://butsuji.net/

【About Kamakura Shinsho】

Established in 1984, Kamakura Shinsho Co., Ltd. is a TSE Prime-listed company that operates publishing and internet businesses focused on "end-of-life planning" for Japan's aging society. We operate numerous end-of-life related web media, including "finding nursing homes," "preparing and processing inheritance," "organizing and tidying up before death," "preparing for funerals," "Buddhist altars," and "choosing graves," and provide consultations and information through our customer center. As the aging society continues to advance, we aim to contribute to creating a brighter and more positive society by helping many people solve their hopes and challenges.

Company Name: Kamakura Shinsho Co., Ltd.

Established: April 17, 1984

Market Segment: Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market (Securities Code: 6184)

Head Office Location: Kenmatsu Building, 2-14-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo