Japanese café is giving people a fresh perspective on life — by letting them lie in a coffin

Coffins are perceived negatively by people in the world for their association with death, tragedy and life endings—good, bad or ugly. While it is a known fact that everyone will have to take the exit flight from this universe, many still fear parting ways with their loved ones. To normalize this stigma, a “coffin café” has come into inception in Japan, as reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The bizarre idea of bringing a burial cafe to a place for hanging out aims to provide a peaceful experience for those who wish to introspect and restart their lives, leaving the baggage behind.

The unique “coffin café” is part of an initiative taken by a 120-year-old funeral home in the East Asian country. Notably, visitors at Futtsu-based funeral service Kajiya Honten can experience lying in a casket to reflect on life and death. The service also shared pictures from inside the cafeteria showcasing well-maintained, neat and clean, colorful coffins. Moreover, the funeral service founded in 1902 joined forces with another funeral supply company to launch the initiative amid a declining casket market. It is located on the first floor of the business’s main building and remains separated from the historic funeral hall. As of now, only three distinctively designed coffins in gold, green and yellow colors are available at the café, despite its opening in September. In other words, visitors may have to wait for their turn to come during busy days.

To ensure that people visiting may get to spend quality time reflecting upon their lives, the café offers a comfortable casket embellished with artistic designs and flower patterns. The visitors would have to shell out some 2,200 yen (US$14) for the unique experiment, per the outlet. Several Japanese couples have already tried it, posting photos of themselves inside the café on Kajiya Honten’s official social media handles.

The 120-year-old funeral home wants everyone to take a chance in order to experience what has been described as the transience of life. The brief moment of contemplation, as per Kajiya Honten’s President Kiyotaka Hirano, comes from a place of personal tragedy. The 48-year-old unexpectedly lost his father when he was only 24 years old. “While most young people think about weddings, few consider funerals. This experience allows them to reflect on how they’d like to live before their time comes,” he told the outlet.

Additionally, Hirano wished for a feeling of rejuvenation for visitors who eventually lost their purpose in life. “Coming out of the coffin can symbolize a rebirth, a reset of one’s life. I hope people leave feeling they can begin anew,” he added. The initiative is reportedly also part of efforts to give a facelift to Japan’s coffin industry. It is well documented that coffins are considerably unsustainable and expensive. A survey conducted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry in Japan in 2013 revealed a decline in the average funeral cost to 1.18 million yen (US$7,600) per service, a 16% reduction from 1.41 million yen in 2014. To tackle this challenge, Hirano now focuses on competing on prices that will improve customer satisfaction.