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Podcast: New Books in Sociology
Episode: Hannah Gould et al., "Death and Funeral Practices in Japan" (Routledge, 2024)
Description: Death and Funeral Practices in Japan (Routledge, 2024) is an essential introductory text an often overlooked element of cultural expression. The books offers a succinct history to the development of funeral practices over time, and describes a typical contemporary funeral in detail. Japanese funerals reflect the strength of continuing ancestor veneration (senzo kuyĹ), but face the challenge of high-density urbanisation and and reduction in family size which can lead to  isolation at the time of death. The text explains new trends in funeral practices, including âtree burialsâ and âeternal memorial gravesâ. This information is supported by material on religious, legal and governance fra...