Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-03-07
CREMATION IN JAPAN.
How the Dead Are Disposed of in the Land of
the MIkadO.

the MikadO.
North China News.
The Japanese almost universally burn
their dead. If the body is to be buried it
is squeezed in a sitting posture in an
earthenware jar. If to be burned it is
placed in similar manner in what the
Japanese woulp call coffin, but what
every one else would cali tub. In either
case the appointed receptacle is so small
that it is only with great difficulty that
the body is placed within it. The body
having been placed in the tub and then
fastened on, it is stood in what in India
would be called a palanquin, to be car
ried to the place of burning. Around
Kobe several of these places may be
found. One in the hills just above the
settlement consists of a large, barn-like
structure built of brick, rooted with
tiles. In this building six bodies may
be cremated at one time. One enters
from the porch through large doors; the
interior is black with smoke, which finds
it's way through Venetian shutters, which
run all round just beneath the roof. On
the floor are six long troughs, across
which the fire. wood is placed on which
the coffin rests. When all is ready straw
mats are placed over the coffin. These,
when ignited, soon set fire TO the bamboo
bands which encircle it, and it is not long
before all is in blaze.
Another place on the hill above Hiogo
(E-yun Yama, Yakiba) is much more
elaborate. This building can be distin-
guished for miles by the high chimney
which rises above it. II is in the hands
of private company who have made
such arrangements that there is nothing
to offend either eye or nostril. There are
several buildings connected with this
Establishment, the one in which the ore
nation takes place being distinguished
by the before mentioned tall chimney.
The building is built of red brick, with
foreign looking glass windows TO lie hit
the interior. Upon pessing through the
doors one discovers that the red brick
building is, SO to speak, an outer shell,
the actual plack of burning being sub
stantial erection inside. The whole place
reminded me at once Of an English bake
house. In the outer wall were the foreign
glass windows, in the inner large iron
doors, raised about two feet from the
ground, each door being about four by
three feet. Upon opening the door a
brick chamber or oven was seen within.
The coffin, having been placed on the
properly arranged wood, and covered
with blazing straw mats, and shut in by
the iron door aid left for the fire to do
it's work. All the chambers were con-
nected with .ke tall chimney, SO that
smoke and everything unpleasant are
"a pidly carried away and dispersed in
the Upper air. On the third day friends
come and search in the ashes for the
teeth and upper bone of the vertebr@.
These are carefully collected and placed
in little box and sent to the village or
town where the deceased was born.
There the box is placed upon the shelf
before the family shrine. Boxes for this
purpose, neatly made, may be purchased
in the premises. In conversation with a
Japanese dentist, l asked, him what
would be done in the case Of an old man,
Dr. one who had no teeth. He said if he |
found it necessary to extract tooth that |
Doth would be sure to be asked for by |
ts owner, to be by MIN treasured up, |
that it might at some future time be plac |
ID in the littls box and sent with the rest |
10 the ancestral shrine. He added that |
t was elderly men chiefly who asked for
heir teeth: the younger men did not
eem TO attach much importance them.
The charge for cremation seems vary
rom 80 cents to 81 and more.
The shades of evening were closing in
Is I entered one of the lovely glens
which abound in the Kobe hills. AS l
reversed the winding path the young
noon over head shone brighter and
brighter, and the stars, one by one, added
oeir light as if to counterfeit the gloom
# the rapidly advancing darkness. The
Hence was iuteQse-nO breeze stirred
notionless leaves. The distant whistle
If some steamboat in the bay or the roar
# some train on its way to and from
osaka was all that could be heard. Sud-
lenly, upon turning a corner, large
,uilding could be dimly seen on the
ising ground in the distance. Volumes
4 SNAKE were issuing from beneath the
oof, and through the large opon doors
he interior could bs seen brilliantly
ighted up. I advanced to the door and