A special switch for cremating your child”…90,000 yen per unit cremation fee is controversial! The Real Scene of a Multi-Death Society

Crematoriums are the final resting place of the human body. Now, more than ever, the existence of crematoriums is attracting attention. A private company operating crematoriums in Tokyo’s 23 wards has raised its fees due to soaring fuel and labor costs, and the appropriateness of the prices is being debated.

Not much is known about the actual conditions of crematoriums, partly because they strictly prohibit outsiders from entering and taking photographs. This time, with special permission, the staff of this magazine entered the crematorium and witnessed the harsh conditions of the work as well as the state-of-the-art facilities.

Part 1 [ Documentary: Daily life of people who burn death at the end of their life in a “crematorium,” which is off-limits to visitors ].

A special switch for cremating children

At Kirigaya Crematorium, one person is in charge of everything from cremation to handling the bereaved family and “raising the bones” to transfer the remains into an urn. By not subdividing the work into smaller sections and having one person in charge from start to finish, the staff is able to take responsibility for the entire process. Work is done in shifts, with the earliest workers starting early in the morning and moving around almost continuously until the evening. On a busy day, there may be as many as 70 cremations per day.

On the control panel of the furnace, there was a switch marked “child” along with a button for adjusting the heat (first photo). When I asked a veteran employee about it, after a few seconds of silence, he told me what it meant.

He said, “This is a special switch for cremating children. It is necessary to lower the flame more than for adults. …… Taking charge of your child is the hardest part. I once cremated an elementary school child about the same age as my own child who died in an accident.

I almost cried when I thought about the parents’ feelings, but I couldn’t let myself cry in front of the bereaved family ……. Every time I press this button, I remember that child.
I come in contact with many bereaved bodies in a day, and I still think a lot about each of them. I also pay a lot of attention to the communication with the bereaved families.

Because of the harsh working environment, both physically and mentally, it is not uncommon for new employees to leave soon after being hired. The crematorium employs all Japanese people because of the nature of the work, but it is very difficult to recruit and train new employees. One employee said, “I couldn’t openly tell people what I do,” because until recently he had been subjected to discriminatory remarks simply because he worked at the crematorium.

Someone has to do it.

There are a total of nine crematoriums in Tokyo’s 23 wards, seven privately operated and two publicly operated. 97% of all crematoriums in Japan are operated by local governments. Because private crematoriums are not subsidized by the taxpayers, the cost of cremation in the 23 wards ranges from 80,000 to 90,000 yen per cremation. New entrants are unlikely to enter the market due to land acquisition issues and other factors, and existing facilities are becoming increasingly important as public infrastructure in this society of multiple deaths. Ryoma Noguchi, president of Tokyo Hakusen, which operates six crematoriums in Tokyo, says, “There are various opinions on the appropriateness of prices.

We have received various opinions about the appropriateness of the price, but we would like to leave the decision to third parties such as the government. The cost of labor and fuel is rising steadily, and it is not easy to run a business. For our part, we are doing this work with a sense of mission that someone has to do it and that it is an important job for society.

On December 31, New Year’s Eve, the world was in a New Year’s Eve mood. When the crew visited the crematorium again, the employees were going about their business as usual. Some crematoriums have a large number of people gathered around the furnace to remember the deceased, while others, for various reasons, do not allow the bereaved family to be present and allow only the employees to witness the final moments of the deceased. Because of the many requests for funerals to be completed by the end of the year, the cremation service was open three hours longer than usual on this day, and was available until after 6:00 pm. In fact, New Year’s Eve is the busiest day of the year, and almost all employees go to work every year. One of the veteran employees mentioned above muttered to me, “I just hurry up and get dressed and go home to watch TV.

Even if you hurry to get dressed and go home, the Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Singing Contest) will be on TV by then. But this is our job.

In the past, crematoriums were symbolized by tall chimneys and black smoke rising from them all day long. Neighboring residents sometimes complained that it was bad luck, and in consideration of the environment, the chimneys have now disappeared in favor of state-of-the-art smoke removal equipment. However, despite the change in form, crematoriums are still places to witness and receive the final moments of life. Today, the crematorium continues to light fires without a break.

From the January 30/February 6, 2026 issue of FRIDAY