Q – 3.28.26 – Don’t judge me harshly but I was on Tik-Tok the other evening and a dimpled, freckled, exquisitely-smiling influencer was explaining that lying in caskets is “sweeping” Japan and that all visitors to the country who want to be cool and up with the times should try it out. We are leaving for a tour of Japan with Insight in just a few weeks and, although we are in our mid-sixties, we were wondering if this is really a thing in Japan and if you think it is worth trying. Or, is this, as I suspect, just more pablum misinformation for the younger masses on the App?
A – Actually, congratulations are in order – you have discovered one of only 17 items on all of Tik-Tok that is totally accurate! This trend, well let’s call it a “trendette” is called “coffin meditation”. The experience is available throughout urban centers in Japan and is offered in funeral parlors and select hair studios. The sessions can be guided, they can be designed to simulate death, but, for the most part, they are seen as an excellent means to totally rest while contemplating the meaning of life and, if you don’t buy religion’s packaged answers, the meaning of death.
People who have gone through the half hour or so sessions say it was unsettling at first but it ended up being unusually calming, a great preparation for the week ahead.
Participants lie in a clean casket that is often decorated with flowers and comfy pillows, Gentle music in the background sets the scene for uninterrupted introspection. Sure you think about death – but many participants claim it creates a sort of emotional “reset” and it allows participants to place some of life’s challenges in better perspective.
Coffin Meditation can now be booked by any hotel concierge or on-site travel planner. Facilities are available throughout Japan’s major cities and there are coffins large enough to hold a two or three person group.
