The population in Japan is aging and waiting lists for crematories keep getting longer. The solution? “Corpse Hotels”.
Japanese customs dictate that families keep the bodies of the dead in their home for an overnight wake before sending the corpse to a crematory the following afternoon.
The only problem is that nowadays the crematories are booked full and families might have to wait days to get an appointment.
Corpse hotels offer an alternate place for the deceased and their families to stay and hold the wake while the wait to cremate the body.
Inside the hotels, there are separate rooms for the living and the dead.
Rooms for the families are fully furnished but modest, with twin beds, toiletries, and even TVs.
The deceased stay across from their loved ones in rooms with altars and coffins, some of which are even temperature controlled
Corpse hotels offer an affordable alternative to funeral parlors and are in high demand in due to the small number of crematories.
Source: The New York Times
