Unclaimed Bodies

I like to read news items in Japan, and often they are things I had never thought about.  I have to share them because you may not have known about them either.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare in fiscal year 2023 in Japan, there were 4200 unclaimed bodies that had to be cremated by local governments.  This is about 2.7% of deaths in 2023. 

The Ministry claims the increase in elderly people living alone and the weakening of family ties have led to an increase in solitary deaths. The number of elderly people with no relatives is expected to continue to increase, making it an issue for local governments to streamline cremation and burial procedures. 

While out walking, I have discovered the crematory on the edge of my town. It always seems to be very busy, with cars driving in and out of the lot. I think almost everyone is cremated here in Japan. 

This story has me wondering what percent of deaths are unclaimed in other countries. I turned to the internet to try to find an answer for the US.  There is no federal agency that tracks this information in the US (and if there had been, DOGE would have gotten rid of it), but it is estimated to be between 2 and 4%. Areas with higher numbers of unhoused people have higher numbers of unclaimed bodies. 

No one wants to think about dying, but I think it’s important to plan ahead. Cremation can cost between 1.2 million yen for a basic cremation to up to 3 million yen for a Buddhist service and cremation. Start saving your yennies so you won’t be a burden on your local government.