Ever heard of a ‘Coffin Cafe’? Sounds a little bizarre, right? A 120-year-old funeral home in Japan is offering a very unique service that allows visitors to reflect on life and mortality by just lying in a coffin. The Kajiya Honten funeral home, located in Chiba Prefecture, has introduced this cafe where guests can lie in specially designed caskets to contemplate their lives in a peaceful environment.
What’s the Coffin Cafe Like?
It was founded during Japan’s Meiji era in 1902, Kajiya Honten, together with a funeral supply company. It was opened during September 2024. It is like a coffee shop; however, what makes it different is that it has three highly colorful coffins in gold, green, and yellow. All are decorated, along with floral patterns and art motifs that ensure the place is more serene than most coffee shops.
The coffin café is located on the first floor of the funeral home, away from the main hall for the funeral. This is to preserve the sanctity of the space. A visit to the coffin café attracts a fee of 2,200 yen, or about USD 14. The concept has already attracted diverse guests, including some who are couples who want to have their pictures taken together in the coffins.
What was the inspiration?
The 48-year-old president of Kajiya Honten, Kiyotaka Hirano, said he found the inspiration for this business service in a personal experience: at the age of 24, Hirano lost his father suddenly, which really set him thinking profoundly about the nature of living and dying. He expressed his hope for the opportunity for others with such experiences in the small coffin café.
“Many young people think about weddings, but few consider funerals or the end of life,” Hirano said. “Some people may want to close the coffin lid for a few minutes to reflect on how they want to live their remaining days.”
This experience is likened to a metaphorical “rebirth.” According to him, it could be likened to emerging from the coffin to symbolize a fresh start for the visitors. “It’s a chance to think about what really matters, like relationships with family and loved ones,” Hirano added.
Japan’s funeral Industry
The initiative comes at a time when Japan’s funeral industry faces major problems. A 2023 survey by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry revealed that the average cost for funerals had decreased by 16% in the previous decade while attitudes about culture and demographics continue changing. Kajiya Honten handled this challenge with increased customer experience awareness and rooting the common death-industry rivalry through pricing. This is evident in the personalized coffin designs tailored to personal tastes and the unique floral arrangements.
In 2022, the funeral home had also introduced a “memorial urn” service whereby clients could create personalized urns for their end arrangements or to pay homage to others.
The Chinese social media users are actually taking interest in Japan’s Coffin Cafe. A user jokingly said, “It’s a ‘luxury pretend death package.’ They should add a stomach tube for coffee infusion.” Another just simply praised the idea as “very Japanese.”
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