Representative image of a coffin.
Credit: iStock Photo
People from all walks of life are plagued by existential crisis every now and then. However, if one wishes to delve deeper into these thoughts, this Japanese funeral home is offering the perfect service for it.
According to a report by South China Morning Post, Kajiya honten, a funeral home based in Futtsu, Chiba prefecture of Japan recently launched an initiative to offer a unique 'coffin cafe' service, where one can lay in a casket and contemplate life and death.
The cafe, which opened in September, offers its customers three unique coffins in gold, green and yellow.
Each are adorned with floral patterns and creative motifs to make the experience more comfortable for visitors who wish to lie inside them and reflect. The funeral house has also made sure that the cafe is away from the funeral hall to prevent funeral attendees from interacting with customers of the cafe.
The experience costs 2,200 yen.
Kiyotaka Hirano, the company’s 48-year-old president told SCMP that he was inspired by his own experience from when him father had passed away.
“While most young people think about weddings, few consider funerals. However, everyone can approach this experience differently. Some may want to close the coffin lid for a few minutes to contemplate how they’d like to live before their time comes,” Hirano told SCMP.
“The experience also provides an opportunity to re-evaluate your relationships with family and loved ones. Coming out of the coffin can symbolise a rebirth, a reset of one’s life. I hope people leave feeling they can begin anew.” he added.
SCMP reported that a 2023 survey by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry in Japan showed that the average cost of a funeral has decreased to 1.18 million yen per service, a 16 per cent reduction from 1.41 million yen in 2014.
In response to the challenges that funeral houses faced through it, Hirano has shifted focus from competing on price with others to enhancing customer satisfaction, such as taking special care in selecting coffins and floral arrangements to meet client needs.