The main benefit of scattering ashes at sea is its cost-free operation. It's generally said that building a grave costs around 2 million yen. A funeral is also said to cost about the same, so initial costs are substantial. In contrast, scattering ashes at sea is said to cost about one-tenth of that.

The cost of scattering ashes at sea varies considerably depending on the size of the boat chartered and the number of people traveling. In other words, the cost varies depending on the number of people and the size of the boat. Hiring a scattering service to scatter the ashes on your behalf costs around 50,000 yen, but chartering a boat for just one family can cost between 200,000 and 500,000 yen. Traveling with a large group to the scattering site requires additional travel expenses. It's important to consider that the cost of scattering ashes alone is not enough.

One disadvantage of scattering ashes at sea is that, since there is no grave, you cannot visit the grave. For those who regularly visit graves on the anniversary of a death or during Obon as part of their annual ritual, visiting the grave as a way to remember the deceased is important, but this means that they will no longer be able to do so in the future. While it's said that there's "no need to maintain the grave," scattering ashes at sea means there will be no place to visit. It's a matter of scale, so if you think of the entire ocean as the grave of the deceased, it's not a problem at all.

Ashes scattered at sea will eventually return to nature, but plankton will live in the fine powder-like ashes. From spring to autumn, as the daylight hours get longer and temperatures rise, phytoplankton in the seawater and the zooplankton that prey on them proliferate. Abnormal plankton proliferation clouds the seawater, causing red tides, which can then be consumed by fish, which can then end up on display at fishmongers' stalls.

According to the Sankei Shimbun, in recent years, scattered areas of Sagami Bay off the coast of Chigasaki, stretching from Kamakura City in Kanagawa Prefecture, have been spotted dyeing the sea red. The Shonan Coast Guard Station has analyzed this as a red tide caused by an increase in plankton due to rising sea temperatures. Red tides occur when the amount of nutrients in seawater exceeds natural levels. There have been no reports of damage to fishing industries. While scattering ashes is not illegal, there are cases where municipalities have enacted ordinances banning the scattering of ashes due to issues with residents caused by the poor manners of those who scatter ashes.

★Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Health and Medical Care: Important Points Regarding Scattering of Ashes
https://www.hokeniryo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/kankyo/eisei/bochitou/ryuuijikou.html

★Sankei Photo: Red tide in Sagami Bay? Off the coast of Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
https://www.sankei.com/photo/story/news/170505/sty1705050014-n1.html

★Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Why does red tide occur?
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/heya/kodomo_sodan/0207/09.html

"Forest scattering" is a natural burial where the remains are returned to nature. It is similar to "tree burial," which involves burial at the base of a tree, but is slightly different. While "tree burial" involves digging a hole in the ground and burying the remains in an urn, "forest scattering" involves grinding the remains into a fine powder beforehand and scattering them in the mountains. The remains are not buried underground, but rather scattered over the ground like the "Grandpa Who Made Flowers Bloom." In the wild, grass grows and bare ground is rarely found, so the white remains are not left in one place. The powdered remains gradually return to the soil as they are exposed to wind and rain. Furthermore, while in a typical "tree burial," the remains are exhumed and interred after a certain number of years, in the case of "forest scattering," the remains cannot be manually retrieved, so they rest there forever. Japan has a long tradition of "mountain worship," which views the entire mountain as a sacred object. ・・・

"Ocean scattering" is a funeral method that has become popular not only in Japan but around the world. Scattering ashes into rivers is not permitted in Japan, so this method seems to be gaining popularity. It is particularly popular as a way to say goodbye to a deceased loved one, and services such as chartering a motorboat or cruiser to scatter ashes offshore are popular. However, the drawbacks of this method include the fact that the ocean is easily affected by weather, which can suddenly result in a cancellation on the scheduled date, and the relatively high cost of chartering a boat. Our company, SANKOTSUYAMA, offers an "Ocean Scattering Plan," which uses our small boat, eliminating the additional cost of chartering a boat. All costs are included in the price. Furthermore, "ocean scattering" does not necessarily require the services of a specialized scattering company. Individuals are not prohibited from scattering powdered ashes into the sea. However, scattering ashes is prohibited near fishing ・・・