Cremation culture began to spread during the Kamakura period, but burial became the norm again during the Edo period. This is thought to be due to the Edo Shogunate's emphasis on Neo-Confucianism in order to maintain feudal rule. The Edo period is also known as the height of Confucianism. The Edo Shogunate is known for its widespread application of Confucian teachings throughout the country, making them a universal principle for governing the nation. The feudal system of the Edo period was formed around Confucian teachings. Confucianism is defined as a school of thought and morality rather than a religion, and Neo-Confucianism is one branch of Confucianism. In the early Edo period, Neo-Confucian scholar Hayashi Razan served Tokugawa Ieyasu. From then on, the Hayashi family was appointed head of the University and controlled the Shogunate's educational policies. In essence, they were the government's advisors. Until then, education had been provided primarily by Buddhist monks, but this marked the completion of feudal rule led by the Shogunate. In Confucianism, it is customary to bury the body in the ground.

Even in previous eras, cremation was primarily practiced by the nobility. It is expensive, and the smoke and odors emitted during cremation impact the surrounding area. The population was estimated to have risen from 12 million around 1600, at the beginning of the Edo period, to 30 million by the late Edo period, approaching the Meiji era. It is said that not a single piece of trash was found on the streets during the Edo period, yet the general public possessed a high level of spirituality. Foreign visitors to Japan were amazed by the high level of civilization, and wrote many books praising the Japanese people. Due to the frequent battles during the Sengoku period, corpses were scattered throughout the fields and mountains. It is reasonable to assume that these were buried in place as a respectful funeral. The burial method used at that time was called "tsuchimanju," or earth manju. This name comes from the practice of placing the body, dressed in funeral attire, in a coffin, burying it in the ground, and then piling up the earth like a manju on top. It was around this time that stupas and gravestones began to appear.

Christianity was more widespread than one might imagine during the Sengoku period, which preceded the Edo period. By 1614, when the expulsion of Christian daimyo began, the number of Japanese Christians was estimated at at least 200,000, and at most as high as 500,000. With Japan's population at the time at 12 million, this meant that Christians made up 2-4% of the population.

Tokugawa Ieyasu was initially tolerant of Christian missionary work, but after the murder of a Japanese red seal ship crew member by Christians and the revelation of a bribery scandal involving Arima Harunobu, lord of Hizen Hinoe Domain (Nagasaki Prefecture), and a Christian, Ieyasu began to ban Christianity. In 1635, the Edo Shogunate implemented the temple parish system. Believing Christianity to be a threat to Western invasion and disruptive to feudal society, the shogunate forced all people to belong to a temple in order to suppress it. As temples managed graves, they were able to keep track of each family's structure and played a role similar to that of today's city, town, and village offices.

This wonderful era, in which Japan's unique culture flourished and order was maintained through a highly spiritual civilization, came to an end as a result of the country's isolation. The arrival of the Black Ships forced Japan to open its borders, and the samurai of Satsuma and Choshu, who had received financial and weaponry assistance from Europe and the United States, rebelled against the Edo Shogunate, bringing this wonderful era to an end. Japan's uniquely high spirituality was lost, and Western values ​​began to be imposed upon it.

"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 ・・・