Table Of ContentInvisible Population
Invisible Population
The Place of the Dead in East Asian
Megacities
Natacha Aveline-Dubach
LEXINGTON BOOKS
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Invisible population : the place of the dead in East Asian megacities / [edited by] Natacha
Aveline-Dubach.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
Summary: “Provides new information on funerary practices in East Asia's largest cities
in which spatial constraints and the secularization of lifestyles are driving innovation. It
reveals common trends in Japan, China and Korea, and addresses emerging challenges
such as urban sustainability and growing social inequities.”—Publisher's description.
ISBN 978-0-7391-7144-8 (cloth : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-7391-7145-5 (ebook)
1. Funeral rites and ceremonies—East Asia—History—20th century. 2. Funeral rites
and ceremonies—East Asia—History—21st century. 3. Death care industry—Social
aspects—East Asia—History—20th century. 4. Death care industry—Social aspects—
East Asia—History—21st century. 5. City and town life—East Asia—History—20th
century. 6. City and town life—East Asia—History—21st century. I. Aveline-Dubach,
Natacha.
GT3282.I68 2012
393'.93095—dc23
2012003265
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Printed in the United States of America
Introduction 1
Acknowledgments
This book is the fruit of extensive fieldwork studies and data collected
for the purpose of creating maps. My thanks go to those who helped us
with our work. Although conducting research in Japan and Korea posed no
difficulty, China proved to be much less accessible. This obstacle was
overcome with the precious help of our Chinese colleague Professor He
Bin from Tokyo Metropolitan University, and the valuable support in
China of Ivan Luvidich (Consulate General of France in Shanghai) and
Jean-Claude Thivolle (CNRS office for China). Moreover, we have our
translator, Karen Grimwade, and desktop publishing operator, Véronique
Ponchon, to thank for the privilege of being able to reach an English-
speaking readership. Lastly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude
to the French National Research Agency, ANR, for their financial backing
throughout the four-year research project.
Note on language transcription systems
and monetary conversions
When transcribing the three languages, the Hepburn system was used
for Japanese, pinyin for Chinese and the official Revised Romanization
system for Korean. Monetary conversions into euros were all based on
September 2011 exchange rates.
Contents 1
Contents
Acknowledgments iii
List of Illustrations vii
Introduction viii
Natacha Aveline-Dubach
Chapter 1: Creative Destruction—The Shattering of the Family
Grave System in Japan
Natacha Aveline-Dubach
Retrospect on the Origins of the Funeral Industry in Japan 1
Restructuring of the Stakeholder System
The Outlook for the Funeral Industry
Conclusion
Chapter 2: The Experience of Death in Japan’s Urban Societies
Katsumi Shimane
Introduction 29
The Main Stages of the Traditional Ceremony
The Evolution of Funerals in Urban Societies
Conclusion
Chapter 3: Emerging Burial Spaces and Rituals in Urban Japan
Fabienne Duteil-Ogata
New Religious Institutions Set Out to Conquer Funerary Affairs 50
Tailor-Made Grave Systems
Graveless Burial Systems
Conclusion
2 Contents
Chapter 4: The Revival of the Funeral Industry in Shanghai: A
Model for China
Natacha Aveline-Dubach
The Rise and Fall of Shanghai’s Funeral Industry 74
The Revival of the Funeral Industry Under Close Supervision
New Challenges for Deathspaces
Conclusion
Chapter 5: Dealing with the Dead: Funerary Rites in Contemporary
Shanghai
Maylis Bellocq
Funeral Reform in Shanghai 98
Funerary Sites: Restricted Spaces
Survival and Reorganising of Traditional Practices
Conclusion
Chapter 6: Traditional Funerary Rites Facing Urban Explosion in
Guangzhou
Yukihiro Kawaguchi
Introduction 123
The Evolution of Funerary Rites Since the Imperial Era
Funerary Rites in the Contemporary China, the Example of Panyu
District
The New Policy On Graves
Conclusion
Chapter 7: Cremation’s Success in Korea: Old Beliefs and Renewed
Social Distinctions
Élise Prébin
Cremation and Burial: Successive Debates Throughout Korean History 138
Choosing Cremation and the Type of Grave
Conclusion
Chapter 8: Funerary Sites in Seoul: A History Marked by Colonial
Experience
Ryohei Takamura
Changes in Funerary Site and Grave Regulations 165
The Creation of Cemeteries and Construction of Crematoria in Seoul
Contents 3
Evolution in Mortuary Spaces and Facilities After Independence
Conclusion
Chapter 9: Overview of Korea’s Funeral Industry
Shi-Dug Kim
The Importance of Funeral Services 192
Changes in Burial Systems
Bright Future for South Korea’s Funeral Industry
Conclusion
Conclusion 206
Natacha Aveline-Dubach
About the Authors 220
Index 222
Contents 1
List of Illustrations
Table 1.1. Graves prices in the main private cemeteries 10
in the Greater Tokyo Area
Table 1.2. Grave sites in the Greater Tokyo Area 14
Map 1.1. Public cemeteries in Tokyo Prefecture 15
Map 1.2. Public cemeteries in Tokyo’s urban area 15
Graph 1.1. Change in the number of deaths in Japan 16
between 1990 and 2055
Graph 1.2. The spread of embalming in Japan 18
Map 4.1. Map of the cemeteries in Shanghai 81
Graph 4.1. Estimated number of deaths in Shanghai 89
between 2002 and 2050
Table 8.1. Change in the number of deaths, cremations 174
and burials in Seoul from 1911 to 1931
Table 8.2. Number of deaths, cremations and burials 175
in Gyeonggi Province
Table 8.3. Private and public graveyards in the Greater 180
Seoul Area
Map 8.1. Map of the cemeteries in the Seoul Metropolitan 182
area
Table 9.1. Funeral parlours in Korea as of June 2006 196
Table 9.2. Cost of funerals by service level in the funeral 197
parlours of K. Hospital (2009)
Table 9.3. South Korean cemeteries in 2007 198
Table 9.4. South Korean ossuaries (31 December 2007) 199
Graph 9.1. Demographic forecast for the number of deaths 201
in South Korea
viii
