Sea Burial in Japan › Complete Guide
Everything families ask us before entrusting a loved one to the sea — the legal rules, what actually happens aboard the vessel, what it costs, and how to arrange it from Japan or from overseas.
Ask us in English — free consultationYes — when four rules are respected. We follow all of them on every sailing.
Ashes must be ground to a fine powder under 2 mm before scattering. This is the firmest rule in Japan, and powdering is included in every one of our plans — done by hand in our own facility.
Scattering takes place offshore, away from beaches, fishing grounds, aquaculture and busy sea lanes, at sea areas agreed with local operators.
Japan's Ministry of Justice holds that scattering ashes is not illegal when performed as a funeral rite with restraint. Flowers are offered as loose petals only — no wreaths, cellophane or anything that does not return to nature.
As a member of the Japan Sea Scattering Association, we operate under its guidelines and the 2021 national guidelines of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — including weather standards, safe vessel operation and environmental testing of the ashes.
A quiet, non-denominational farewell — flowers, water, and the ship's bell. Religious elements can be arranged on request.
Every ceremony is photographed, and the exact position is recorded by GPS for your certificate. For unattended ceremonies, this is how you are there without being there.
All prices include tax and the powdering of the ashes. The total is fixed in a written quote — no charges are added afterwards.
| Plan | Price (tax incl.) | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Unattended Sea Burial | ¥54,450 limited-time (regular ¥66,000) | Our staff perform the full ceremony on your behalf. The plan most requested by families overseas — you receive the GPS certificate, photos, and optionally video or a live stream. |
| Group Ceremony | ¥148,500〜 | You attend, sharing the vessel with other families. Held regularly in Kinko Bay (Kagoshima) and Hakata Bay (Fukuoka). |
| Private Charter | ¥176,000〜 | A vessel reserved for your family alone, with flexible timing and personal touches — music, a favourite drink, letters. |
| Pet Sea Burial | ask us | A dedicated unattended ceremony for pets, held twice a year in Kinko Bay, Kagoshima. |
| Memorial Cruise | ¥176,000 | A return voyage to the sea area of a past ceremony — many families sail out again on anniversaries. |
| Letter to Heaven | free | Write a letter to the one you lost; we carry your words to the waters where the ceremony took place. |
US$ guide: ¥54,450 ≈ US$370. Exchange rates vary — we confirm payment options for your country in the quote. Overseas arrangements are explained on our English top page.
Scattered ashes cannot be recovered — so many families keep a small part. We prepare this before the ceremony.
The complete return — everything is scattered at the ceremony. A clean farewell chosen by those who feel the sea is where their loved one belongs.
A palm-sized mini urn — egg-shaped ceramic or glass — that sits on a shelf or in the living room. No home altar needed. Dividing into an urn you bring is ¥5,500 (tax incl.).
A quantity about the size of a grain of rice, sealed inside a memorial ring or pendant — carried with you, anywhere in the world. Keepsakes ship internationally.
Six steps from first email to certificate. From overseas, everything can be done in English by email.
Tell us your situation by email or through our English form — "just asking" is welcome. Consultation and quotes are free, and we reply within 2 business days.
We propose the plan that fits your wishes and confirm the total in writing. Nothing is added to the quoted amount afterwards.
Bring them in person, send them within Japan by Japan Post (yu-pack) with our packing guidance, or ask a relative in Japan to do so. Travelling from abroad, we advise on documents and airline rules for your route.
We grind the ashes to a fine powder as the rules require — by hand, with environmental-safety testing (hexavalent chromium check and neutralisation). If you wish to be present for this, ask us.
Flowers, an offering of water, the ship's bell — attended by you, or performed carefully on your behalf. The ceremony is photographed for you.
You receive a certificate with the date and GPS coordinates (English version on request), with photos. Later, a memorial cruise can take you back to the same waters.
More questions — including bringing ashes into Japan — are answered on our English top page.
Attended ceremonies are booked around your travel dates; unattended ceremonies join the next suitable sailing. Sailings are confirmed about two days ahead based on sea conditions, and if the weather prevents a safe departure, the ceremony is rescheduled at no charge. Safety standards follow the Japan Sea Scattering Association guidelines.
Off Kagoshima, ceremonies take place in Kinko Bay within sight of the volcano Sakurajima; off Fukuoka, in the waters beyond Hakata Bay. Both are designated sea areas away from shores, fishing grounds and sea lanes. The exact position of your ceremony is recorded by GPS and printed on the certificate.
Yes. The certificate of sea burial — date, sea area and GPS coordinates — can be issued in English on request, at no extra charge. Overseas families often use it as the family's permanent record of the farewell.
Yes. For unattended ceremonies we can arrange video recording or a live stream (Zoom or similar), so family members anywhere in the world can be present at the moment of the farewell. Ask for this when you request your quote.
No — after a sea burial there is nothing that must be maintained, and no ongoing fees. This is one reason families closing a family grave (hakajimai) choose it. Those who want a focal point for remembrance often keep a mini urn or memorial jewellery, or join our memorial cruise on anniversaries.
Yes. We handle grave closure (hakajimai) across Kyushu — removal of the stone, retrieval of the remains, the paperwork, then powdering and sea burial — as one service. If your family grave is in Japan and you live overseas, we can manage the whole sequence with a relative in Japan or directly with you by email.
Free, in English, no obligation — we reply within 2 business days. The form takes about two minutes.
Open the English inquiry form