44.5% of Respondents Say They 'Have Felt Anxious' About Managing and Maintaining Graves. Over Half of Anxious Individuals Concern Over 'Lack of Successors'

■ About half are anxious about grave management. The future successor issue is the biggest concern.

As the declining birthrate, aging population, and trend toward nuclear families progress, more people are worried about maintaining and managing their graves.

How should we protect the graves passed down from our ancestors?

Or, what should we do when it becomes difficult to protect them?

These issues are no longer someone else's problem for many people.

Therefore, we conducted a joint survey with Memorial Una on 'Anxiety about Grave Maintenance and the Future' targeting 164 men and women nationwide who answered 'I have a grave or am involved in grave management' in a preliminary survey.

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Survey Overview on 'Anxiety about Grave Maintenance and the Future'

Survey method: Internet questionnaire

Survey period: April 7 - April 10, 2026

Target respondents: Men and women nationwide who answered 'I have a grave or am involved in grave management' in a preliminary survey.

Valid responses: 164 samples

Questions:

Question 1: Have you ever felt anxious about managing or maintaining your grave?

Question 2: What kind of anxiety do you feel? (Multiple answers allowed)

Question 3: Have you ever actually considered 'Hakajimai' (closing the grave)?

Question 4: Please tell us the reason.

Question 5: What memorial methods did you consider after closing the grave?

Question 6: Please tell us the reason.

* As a general rule, totals may not equal 100% because figures are rounded to the nearest decimal place.

■ 44.5% answered they 'have felt anxious' about managing and maintaining their graves

First, we asked if they had ever felt anxious about managing or maintaining their grave.

As a result, 44.5% answered 'Yes' and 55.5% answered 'No', revealing that nearly half of the respondents have experienced some anxiety about grave management.

Although those who answered 'No' currently account for the majority, the difference is not that large at about 11%.

■ The most common anxiety is 'No successor / no one to manage in the future' at 53.4%

Next, we asked those who answered 'Yes' to feeling anxious about what kind of anxiety they felt.

The most common response was 'No successor / no one to manage in the future' at 53.4%.

This was followed by 'Anxious about management when I get older' at 50.7%, 'Maintenance and management fees are a burden' at 38.4%, and 'The grave is far away, making visits difficult' at 31.5%.

The lack of a successor and anxiety about management in old age account for the top spots with almost the same percentage, indicating that the issue of who will manage the grave and how is a significant concern for many.

Also, the burden of maintenance costs and the inconvenience of a distant grave seem to have a major practical impact on daily life.

■ 20.7% answered they 'have' actually considered 'Hakajimai' (closing the grave)

Next, we asked if they had ever actually considered 'Hakajimai'.

20.7% answered 'Yes', and 79.3% answered 'No'.

We asked for the reasons behind their answers and introduce some of them below.

Those who answered 'Have considered it':

- Because I am single and have no one to succeed me. (Male, 50s)

- Because my father developed dementia and my mother passed away suddenly, and I don't know what to do in the future. (Male, 50s)

- Because there is no successor. (Female, 50s)

- Because it is far away. (Male, 50s)

- No successor, and it seems unlikely I can afford the maintenance costs. (Male, 60s)

- Because I don't want to burden my children. (Male, 60s)

Those who answered 'Have not considered it':

- Because we just built the grave. (Female, 30s)

- Because the grave is on our own land, so I don't mind if it gets abandoned. (Female, 40s)

- Because I think I can still manage it. (Male, 40s)

- Because the location is easy to visit, and I am still at an age where I can manage it myself. (Male, 50s)

- Because my parents are still alive. (Male, 50s)

Among the reasons given by those who 'have considered it', concerns about being single with no successor and financial worries stood out. There are also cases triggered by sudden family changes, such as nursing care for parents or sudden bereavements.