On the 10th of October 2024, a woman’s heart stopped forever. I looked at the outside of the window, it was a crystal clear sky. My granny ended her 102 years old her life.
After she passed away, my family members especially my mom who is my granny’s child had no time to get sentimental. We met a manager of the funeral company and made an arrangement for the funeral.
There are many Buddhist sects in Japan. However, the general flow of the Buddhist funeral is as follows
Otsuya
Otsuya is a ceremony held the night or the next night the deceased passes away. It is relevant to wake or vigil over the descend in English. Family members, relatives, and close friends stay with the departed in a room throughout the night while keeping light on the candles and incense.
Funeral Ceremony
We burn incense one by one and chant Buddhist sutra with Buddhist priests while praying the deceased rests in peace.
Finally, lots of flowers such white chrysanthemums, and deceased favorite things are put into the coffin. They all are burned and are thought to be going to a good place together.
Cremation
In Japan, people are cremated. After we say a final goodbye to the deceased, the coffin is put into the cremation.
After an hour and a half hour, we collect the deceased’s ashes and put them into an urn. It’s placed in an ancestral tomb in 49 days. That is also an Buddhist custom.
My granny
My granny was born and raised in Hiroshima. After she graduated the higher elementary school, she worked for the country and survived World War II. After the war, she worked to support her family. She lived through the period of rapid economic growth, the burst bubble, and the covid 19 pandemic in recent years. My granny saw the world of human beings over a century. Her 102 year-old life is enriching and vast.
She had a hard time in the first half of her life however, she had a happy time in the latter life.
There is a 88 years ago group shot of my granny’s family. The girl on the second row at the left most part is my granny. She was the only one living up to this time. Eventually, she just became history.
I hope my granny stays with her family members in a good world.
Thanks my granny for everything. We miss you.