There exists two main religions in Japan, Shintô and Buddhism. Most of the Japanese practices both of the two religions because they are not in opposition. There is also a little part of Japanese people that pratice Christianity.

It comes from China and has been introduced in Japan to the VIth century. It get numerous connect (or sects) whose Zen is the most known in Occident, or Jodo and Sokka Gakkaï that regroups the most believers.

Monks wear a brown dress and a large hat. You can see some of them in the streets or to the entry of temples to make the quest in shaking their handbell.

Now, there is a few japanese people that are Christians (about one to two million). To clarify, this does mean about 1% of Japan's population. Mainly, they live in Western Japan. Why especially in this area ? Because that is where the missionaries' activities were greatest during the 16th century.

So, even others Japanese people are not Christians, such customs have become quite popular like for example : white dresses for women in wedding ceremony, or St Valentine's Day, and of course, Christmas.

Almost of funerals ceremonies are in Bouddhist style. At the left, you can see a picture of a bouddhist's graveyard and if you look very carefully this photo, what do you see on the black post with white writing : a crow!!! (so what? Do you think I watch tv series "The Crow" too much? Humm ... bonus ^o~). I know that speak about death is not very amusing so forgive me this little wink ^_^. But curiously the writing mean "The garden of spirits", strange thing is'nt it?

So, to come back at our funeral history, there is, of course a ceremonial, like in every religion, with some variations. Be carreful, every people with tender heart, please do not read after : at first, there is cremation of the body. The "guest" take a first meal, during cremation time. After that, the family of the defunct takes bones among the ash and passes them from person to person by chopsticks (I tell you before : do not read ^_^). I think it is horrible, but, every country, every tradition.

Actually, all funeral ceremonies are held by bouddhist monks in according to their rituals. A lot of guests are invited to the cremation ceremony. Every guest will pay about 20 000 yen to the family of the defunct and in exchange they received a small present. At the end, an another meal is served.

The urn is put on an altar at the family's house and kept there for 35 days. Some incense sticks (osenko) are burned to do around the clock (special sticks that can burned 12 hours for the night exist).

A lot of visitors will come to the defunct's house, they will burn an encense stick, and will talk to the family. After 35 days, the urn is finally buried on a Buddhist graveyard. Japanese people come to visit the graves of their ancestors in many occasions during the year, especially during the "week obon" (bouddhist festival during Japanese honor the ancestor's memory), anniversaries and equinoctial weeks.

There is some things (for example : the "trick" of the chopsticks), that one cannot do that in everyday life because they are linked to funeral rites and death, and are, therefore, supposed to bring bad luck.