It has now been almost three weeks since my grandfather’s funeral, and already the details surrounding the few specific memories that have been ingrained into my mind are becoming hazy. I’m sure the funeral for my great-uncle, which I will be attending tomorrow evening, will jog these memories. Two Funerals and an Acceptance: this could be the title of the amazingly un-comedic events of the past month. People are always saying that I remind them of Hugh Grant anyway.

There are many stages to the Buddhist funeral process, and it is absolutely fascinating to experience firsthand. I cannot promise that my recounting of the funeral will have the same effect, as the emotional attachment undoubtedly plays a large role in the experience, but I am sure that readers unfamiliar with a Japanese funeral will find parts of the process both amazing as well as shocking.

The House

I guess one could say that the entire process begins with the wetting of the lips and the washing of the body, as was mentioned previously. Cotton is pushed into the ears and nostrils, and the mouth is held closed by wrapping a soft cloth around the head. Then a Buddhist priest administers something similar to last rites, though they are not indeed the “last” by any means.