Recently,Japan's"balloon funeral"has received attention from foreign media.On the 4th,South Korea's"Chosun Ilbo"published an article titled"No one to mourn,no place to bury",Japan's balloon funeral",introducing this social phenomenon after Japan entered a super aging society.
The scene of balloons flying into the sky at a funeral in Japan.The largest balloon in the lower right corner contains the cremated ashes of the deceased.(Image source:Reported by Chosun Ilbo with accompanying image)
Balloon Kobo"in Japan is a company that provides"balloon funeral"services.They load the cremated ashes into balloons and send them high into the air,allowing the balloons to naturally explode.The ashes of the deceased eventually scatter in the air.Recently,the number of Japanese people holding"balloon funerals"has continued to increase,with over a hundred people making appointments alone.The cost of a"balloon funeral"is generally 240000 yen(approximately 12000 yuan).The Economist magazine published an article introducing Japan's"balloon funerals",stating that"recently,the number of deaths in Japan,which entered the super aging society early on,has surged,leading to an increasing demand for more creative funerals.This is a phenomenon caused by no one to mourn and no place to bury
According to Chosun Ilbo,Japan,with a long average life expectancy and low fertility rate,entered a super aging society as early as 2006.Last year,the death toll in Japan exceeded 1.5 million,the highest since World War II.The Japanese Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare predicts that the death toll in Japan will reach 1.68 million by 2040.