TOKYO (majirox news) — The $21 billion funeral industry is changing as more Japanese households are cutting down on the expensive business of dying during the global economic downturn.
Many Japanese are choosing cheaper funerals as the aging population is growing. In fact, Japan has the highest proportion of elderly citizens over the age of 65 (23.1%), according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication. Last year, 1.2 million people passed away.
With the average funeral (including the ceremony, cremation, flowers, urns and donations for the Buddhist monks) costing an average of about 2.8 million yen ($37,000), more people are seeking out less expensive alternatives
Categories: Japan