Sunday 24 September 2017

Pet deaths in Japan: Dignified but dog-gone expensive

In Japan, caring for pets goes beyond the grave.

At Pet Rainbow Festa, a pet funeral expo held in Tokyo on Monday, visitors were given a host of options on performing rites for dead pets, including cremation, constructing a household altar and making offerings of incense.

A staff prays in front of an altar for a pet dog during a demonstration of pet funeral services at the Pet Rainbow Festa, a pet funeral expo targeting an aging pet population, in Tokyo on Sept. 18. | REUTERS
The basic funeral service fee starts from ¥95,800 for a 1-kg hamster or bird and can go up to ¥114,800 for a 20-kg dog, according to funeral services company Kokolone.

A flower altar can be added for ¥30,000 or pet owners can hire the services of a violinist or pianist to add somber music.

The funeral rituals underscore a Japanese belief that spirits need to be pacified — even if that comes at a tidy cost for a departed pet.

(Source: Reuters)

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