What to do with the remains?

As I age, I can hear the footsteps of death.

It is certain that I will be burned to ashes after death.

So, after I die, how do I want others to deal with my ashes?

Or if my lover leaves the world before me, how should I deal with her (his) ashes?

I was born in a thatched house in the mountains of Nara. There are ancient Buddhist shrines and shrines at home. My family changes the water for them, offers seasonal flowers and food, burns incense and recites sutras. These scenes are still in my memory.

Now, my eldest brother is responsible for taking care of the tomb and the shrine, and in my heart, the bond between me and my parents, relatives, and ancestors is gradually weakening. Perhaps to some extent, it is also because the shrine is far away from my life.

The Buddha shrine is a microcosm of the Pure Land of Bliss

In modern society, as small families gradually increase, fewer and fewer families have Buddhist shrines.

A Buddhist shrine is a small temple that imitates the Pure Land. Its style is constantly changing, and it has evolved into furniture-style Buddhist shrines and designer Buddhist shrines.

At the same time, many people keep some of their remains and ashes with them, because in the context of the increasingly prominent phenomenon of “abandoning graves” and “abandoning Buddhist altars”, more and more people are beginning to pursue personalized memorial services.

The question is what kind of “home” should be found for the container containing the remains and ashes.

A ventilated altar and an offering you want to touch

I was looking for a unique altar, and I found an altar and offering called “Prayer Orchestra” on the Internet, which caught my eye.

To find out, I immediately went to the production company “INBLOOMS” in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture.

Simple, plain, bright, and with a strong presence.

Traditional altars incorporate the solemn religious worldview to the greatest extent, but this altar only has an outer wooden frame, forming a transparent space, making people feel as if the wind is passing through with the ethereal sound of bells.

This shrine integrates traditional shrines into modern life and is made into an A4 size, giving the prayer space an angular shape. It is one of the representative works of the “Prayer Symphony Orchestra”.

The shrine is made of wood texture, which makes people want to reach out and touch it. When you hold the natural log in your hand, it will continue to heat up like human skin. The product shows an unknown picture and exudes a magic that touches people’s hearts. I was attracted by this magic and pressed the shutter without knowing it.

“Forest Tablet”

The tablet for the deceased is engraved with the deceased’s Buddhist name and time of death, and is the place where the soul resides. In the past, tablets were only painted black, but Forest Tablet offers many options. It is said that the brand collected more than 200 kinds of natural wood when it was first launched, which can be said to be “the jewel of the forest”.

I chose a tablet made of apple wood for my mother who loves fruits. This is in line with my mother’s style and allows me to place all my grief here. It is unique in the world.

The Mori no Shikata won the 2018 Japan Good Design Award for its concept of reflecting the personality of the deceased through different types of wood. The Prayer Symphony, which never follows the rules, has won a total of 7 Good Design Awards.

Naoto Kikuchi, the innovation leader and legal representative of INBLOOMS, said: “The Prayer Symphony contains the spirit of Nordic furniture.”

“This chair is carefully made by craftsmen using high-quality materials and taking a long time to make it. It can be repaired and used forever. Japan used to pursue excellence in craftsmanship, and the Prayer Symphony hopes to create works that are no less than Nordic furniture. The simpler the style, the more it can highlight the essence.”

The craftsman spirit of Shizuoka wooden furniture

Kikuchi’s uncle was a carpenter at Shizuoka Sengen Shrine. Kikuchi’s love for wood came from the knowledge of carpentry that his uncle taught him since middle school.

In the 1800s, the Tokugawa Shogunate recruited carpenters from all over the country to build Sengen Shrine. Gradually, the descendants of these carpenters began to make wooden box furniture “Suruga Shimono” and Buddhist altars that do not use a single nail.

Today, this local industry is gradually turning to cheap overseas OEM. In order to help Shizuoka’s economic development, Kikuchi gave orders to local carpenters to hone their skills.

I interviewed carpenter Masahiro Yasuda, praying that the products of the symphony orchestra are made by his hands.

Yasuda said, “The work that the Prayer Orchestra gave us was very difficult, which made me doubt whether I could do it. On the one hand, I felt that the work was difficult, but on the other hand, I wanted to do it well no matter what. If I could complete it successfully, I would be more confident, which would be of great help in the future. Mr. Kikuchi listened carefully to the customers’ opinions and told me, so I couldn’t just do it perfunctorily.”

This made me personally experience what Kikuchi said – “I want people I admire to do things I admire.”

The starting point of the Prayer Orchestra

After graduating from the surveying school in Nagoya, Kikuchi worked for a construction company, responsible for the design and construction of a park-style cemetery. It was during this period that he began to think about modern funeral and memorial methods.

After that, he returned to Shizuoka and switched to sales for his favorite car brand, Volkswagen, and won the Japanese gold medal in sales in the fourth year.

At this time, a Swiss company that made diamonds from remains happened to settle in Shizuoka. Kikuchi thought this opened up ideas for solving the problem of Japanese mausoleums, so he took the opportunity to transform. He started a business and developed “ASH IN JEWELRY”, a jewelry that puts remains or ashes into pendants, and the jewelry became a hit.

In other words, praying and paying respects to the deceased are probably about missing and sensing the presence of the deceased, and resonating with them.

One side emits light with the sun’s radiating power, and the other side receives the light with the moon’s reflecting power.

Put your hands together gently, and your wish will quietly rise into the sky.