Study Buddy (Explorer): At Japan’s Death Festival, visitors pay US$7 to lie in coffin and confront dying
- China and South Korea have similar events which celebrate life and embrace the reality of death
- Each week, this page presents an interesting story that we have adjusted to be more accessible for all English learners
A busy district in Tokyo recently hosted a festival about passing away. It is a phenomenon mirrored in other parts of Asia. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/WeiboContent provided by British Council
Read the following text, and answer questions 1-9 below:
[1] In 2023, about 1.6 million people died in Japan. The nation’s media dubbed it the “era of high mortality”. However, passing away seems to have become a less frightening prospect. This is evident with the launch of a six-day Death Festival in Tokyo’s Shibuya district last month.
[2] The unique event allows visitors to explore the afterlife using virtual reality glasses, compile bucket lists, and even experience what their own funerals might be like by lying in coffins. This one-of-a-kind event is organised by a consortium of Tokyo-based entities, including NGOs, new media companies and funeral professionals.
[3] In Japanese, the number four carries a negative connotation due to its homophonic resemblance to the word “death”. Despite this, April 14 was designated “Death Day” by the festival’s creators.
[4] During the event, visitors could pay 1,100 yen (HK$55) to spend three minutes lying in a coffin. At the end of the time, the staff opened the coffin lid and said: “Welcome back to the world.” The six-day festival also offered visitors the opportunity to explore the afterlife using virtual reality technology, attend lectures on Japan’s burial traditions, and try food inspired by death.
[5] The festival is not just a cultural event, but a catalyst for societal change. Its goal is to shift societal attitudes towards death, encouraging people to confront mortality and engage more deeply with the living.
[6] Japan is a country with a high mortality rate, an extremely low birth rate and an ageing population. The founders of the festival said their intention was to help people rethink how to live in the present by experiencing death. “If you start contemplating life from its final moments, you’ll perceive an entirely new world,” said Nozomi Ichikawa, one of the founders.
[7] In Shanghai, central China, and the city of Shenyang, in the northeast, centres offer “death experiences.” These experiences include simulating funeral proceedings and cremation. A participant from Guangdong province in the south of the country shared his experience on Weibo. “I failed my postgraduate entrance exam and was devastated. But after lying in the coffin, I realised it wasn’t such a big deal,” he said.
[8] Since 2012, tens of thousands of people in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, have participated in “living funerals.” They spend about 10 minutes lying in closed coffins. Japan’s Obon Festival, typically lasting three days in mid-August, involves ancestor veneration through Bon dances, a folk tradition to welcome the spirit of the dead, floating lanterns and visiting graves.
[9] The Zhongyuan Festival, also known as the Ghost Festival, is a traditional holiday in several countries, including China, Singapore, and Malaysia. It is intended to appease the spirits of ancestors. People offer food and float water lanterns to ensure that the spirits are able to find their way home.
Source: South China Morning Post, May 3
Questions
1. In paragraph 1, why is 2023 also called the “era of high mortality” in Japan?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What activity did some visitors try at the Death Festival according to paragraph 2?
A. write their will
B. experience a near-death experience
C. lie in coffins
D. meet with deceased loved ones
3. According to paragraph 3, the number four is considered unlucky in Japan because …
A. its pronunciation is similar to the word “death”.
B. of a folklore that associates the number with misfortune.
C. it is linked to bad luck.
D. the number represents chaos.
4. What does “the end of the time” in paragraph 4 refer to?
___________________________________________________
5. Find a word in paragraph 5 that refers to people who are still alive. _________________________________
6. According to paragraph 6, Japan has a high …
A. population.
B. birth rate.
C. death rate.
D. all of the above
7. In paragraph 7, how did the participant feel after taking part in the “death experience” in Shanghai?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Decide whether the following statements based on paragraphs 8 and 9 are True, False or the Information is Not Given. Fill in ONE circle only for each statement. (4 marks)
(i) The Ghost Festival is only celebrated in Malaysia.
(ii) People celebrate the Obon Festival to drive away the spirit of the dead.
(iii) Offerings are made during the Zhongyuan Festival.
(iv) Food items offered during the Zhongyuan Festival include sweets and pastries.
9. In paragraph 9, why do people float water lanterns during Zhongyuan Festival?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Answers
1. about 1.6 million people died that year
2. C
3. A
4. three minutes spent lying in the coffin (accept all similar answers)
5. the living
6. C
7. He felt that failing his postgraduate entrance exam was not as big of a deal as he thought it would be. (accept all similar answers)
8. (i) F; (ii) F; (iii) T; (iv) NG
9. to ensure the spirits find their way home