News Kofun-style burial mound graves in increasing demand

[thomas]

An increasing number of Japanese are moving away from traditional family graves, and a newly introduced burial site modelled after ancient kofun mounds has seen a surge in interest, with more than 6,000 people now waiting for a place. In Noda, Chiba Prefecture, one such cemetery stands amid lush greenery, its centrepiece a 17.5-metre mound built on a stone embankment in the style of Japan's early burial tumuli. Marumo, who heads the company running the project, said that since the site opened in March, over 600 plots have already been purchased. Most of the buyers, he added, are in their 50s to 70s, drawn by the system's straightforward nature and relatively modest cost.

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The mound serves as a communal grave, with multiple unrelated people buried together. It is treated as a perpetual resting place, with the cemetery responsible for its long-term maintenance and a partner shrine continuing rituals indefinitely — a feature Marumo says is a key selling point. The price starts from 183,000 yen, and unlike conventional graves, which can cost between 5,000 and 20,000 yen annually to maintain, there are no ongoing management fees. Kawamura, 69, who purchased a space after his wife passed away last year, said the concept appealed to him. "I can be buried with my wife, and there's no annual maintenance fee to worry about," he said. The project has also given rise to an unusual new tradition: "kofun reunions" for people who have purchased plots in the same burial mound while they are still alive. Kawamura, who attended one such gathering, recalled meeting a fellow future neighbor whose husband had recently passed away. "We joked about becoming neighbors. It's interesting to be able to share a smile while we're still alive," he said.

Ancient Burial Mound-Style Graves In Demand

A growing number of people are choosing to forgo traditional family graves, and a new type of burial site designed in the shape of ancient Japanese burial mounds has become so popular that more than 6,000 people are now on the waiting list.

newsonjapan.com