Approximately 47% of Respondents 'Did Not Know' the Average Funeral Cost; Top Reassuring Conditions Include 'Detailed Estimates,' 'Flat-Rate Plans,' and 'Guarantee of No Additional Fees'

■How do those who have experienced funerals perceive the costs and payment methods?

A funeral is not something one experiences many times in life.

In many cases, it comes suddenly, without time for preparation.

Therefore, when the time comes to hold a funeral, many people may have felt confused about how much it would cost or whether the quoted price was reasonable.

This time, in collaboration with SAIJO HAKUSHIMA KAIKAN, a funeral home in Hiroshima, we conducted a survey on 'Awareness of Funeral Costs and Payment Methods' targeting 198 men and women nationwide who responded in a preliminary survey that they had 'experience serving as a chief mourner or holding a funeral.'

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Survey Overview: 'Survey on Funeral Costs and Payment Methods'

Survey Method: Internet-based questionnaire

Survey Period: May 20, 2026 - May 25, 2026

Survey Target: Men and women nationwide who responded in a preliminary survey that they had 'experience serving as a chief mourner or holding a funeral'

Valid Responses: 198 samples

Survey Questions:

Q1: How did you feel about the funeral costs?

Q2: Please tell us the reason for your feeling.

Q3: To what extent did you know the average funeral cost?

Q4: Where did you obtain information about funeral costs? (Multiple choice)

Q5: Did you find the pricing plans or costs of funeral homes difficult to understand?

Q6: What specific points did you find particularly difficult to understand about the pricing plans or costs?

Q7: What kind of pricing plans from funeral homes make you feel 'reassured'? (Multiple choice)

Q8: Please choose the one that makes you feel the most 'reassured' and tell us the reason.

*Note: Percentages are rounded to the second decimal place, so totals may not equal 100%.

■72.7% Responded that Funeral Costs are 'High'

First, we asked how they felt about the funeral costs.

As a result, 41.9% said they 'felt it was high,' and 30.8% said they 'felt it was somewhat high.'

Combined, this totals 72.7%, indicating that over 70% of people who have experienced a funeral felt the cost was high.

Next, 25.8% said they 'felt it was reasonable.'

On the other hand, only 0.5% said they 'felt it was somewhat cheap,' and 1.0% said they 'felt it was cheap.'

We also asked for the reasons behind these feelings, and here are some of the responses.

Reasons for feeling it was high:

- Even after minimizing the number of attendees, it was still higher than expected. (Female, 30s)
- Because there are costs beyond the basic fee. (Female, 50s)
- Because it cost as much as buying a car in just two days. (Male, 50s)
- Because additional costs like flower arrangements, which were not explained in the estimate, were incurred. (Male, 60s)
- Even a family funeral easily exceeds 1 million yen. It's not cheap at all. If you spend money on the altar and flowers for a family funeral, it ends up costing the same as a regular funeral. (Male, 60s)

Reasons for feeling it was reasonable:

- Because I thought it was the average price for a family funeral. (Male, 40s)
- I opted for a direct cremation, and the amount was reasonable. (Male, 50s)
- It was in line with the plan, not an exorbitant price. (Male, 50s)
- Because I had a general idea of the average cost for a family funeral, so it stayed within budget. (Female, 60s)
- The details were clear, so I felt the price was almost reasonable. Rather, the offering (ofuse) was more unclear and expensive. (Male, 60s)

Reasons for feeling it was cheap:

- Because I had expected a high amount. (Male, 60s)
- Because we had a family funeral and it was Shinto, so we didn't call a monk, making it cheaper. (Male, 70s)

Those who felt the cost was 'high' cited costs beyond the basic fee and additional costs not explained in the estimate. Even with family funerals, spending on the altar and flowers seemed to lead to higher costs than expected.

On the other hand, those who felt the cost was 'reasonable' cited prior knowledge of the average cost and the clarity of the plan details and cost breakdown.

This suggests that perception of funeral costs is influenced not only by the amount itself but also by the clarity of prior explanations and the sense of satisfaction.

■47.4% Responded They 'Did Not Know' the Average Funeral Cost

Next, we asked to what extent they knew the average funeral cost.

As a result, 32.8% said they 'did not know much,' and 14.6% said they 'did not know at all.' Combined, this totals 47.4%, indicating that approximately half of the respondents conducted the funeral without a good understanding of the average cost.

On the other hand, 47.5% said they 'had a general idea of the cost,' and 5.1% said they 'knew the detailed cost.'

Opportunities to learn about average funeral costs are not common in daily life.

Therefore, when the time comes, it is easy to find oneself in a situation where it is difficult to judge whether the quoted price is high or low.

■36.4% Responded They 'Did Not Specifically Collect' Cost Information

Next, we asked where they obtained information about funeral costs.

The most common response was 'I did not specifically collect information' at 36.4%.

This means that more than one in three people conducted the funeral without gathering sufficient cost information.

This was followed by 'Funeral home flyers/brochures' at 26.3%, 'Word-of-mouth from acquaintances/relatives' at 24.7%, 'Funeral home official website' at 21.7%, and 'Internet search/comparison sites' at 14.6%.

Funerals are often needed suddenly, making it difficult to take time for careful consideration.

Even among those who gathered information, the main methods were familiar ones like flyers and word-of-mouth, with only a minority proactively using comparison sites.

■53.1% Have Experienced Finding Pricing Plans or Costs 'Difficult to Understand'

Next, we asked if they had ever found the pricing plans or costs of funeral homes difficult to understand.

As a result, 36.9% said they 'found it somewhat difficult to understand,' and 16.2% said they 'found it very difficult to understand.' Combined, this totals 53.1%, indicating that over half have experienced difficulty understanding pricing plans or costs.

On the other hand, 41.4% said they 'found it relatively easy to understand,' and 5.6% said they 'found it very easy to understand.'

So, what specific points were difficult to understand?

We also asked about the points they found particularly difficult to understand, and here are some responses.

What specific points did you find particularly difficult to understand about the pricing plans or costs of funeral homes?

- Too many options. (Male, 30s)
- Many details like the number of people, duration, and options were not very clear and required consultation.