70614-0007 - Funeral Procession

Mourners at a large funeral procession in the city.

Original text: “A Funeral Procession. The Japanese show great respect for the death, and the ceremonial both at the house and grave is very impressive. Until recently all funerals, even those of Shinto priests, were conducted by buddhist priests, but now the Shintoists are permitted to bury their own believers. White is the Shinto color of mourning, but according to the Buddhist ritual the pall-bearers are clad in dark blue. Mourners carry banners from the Shinto temples and large clusters of artificial flowers. The Shinto coffin is a square box, in which the remains are placed in a sitting posture with the head bent to the knees; it is suspended from long poles and carried like a sedan chair. The family of the deceased follow in kagos or jinrikishas, and a large concourse of friends on foot accompanies them to the grave and returns with them to their residence, where sweetmeats and sake are served for refreshment.”

See blog entry.