August 2024 · Fukuoka, Japan — The Second China-Japan Funeral Culture Exchange Conference
Time: August 23–24, 2024
Venue: Fukuoka International Conference Hall, Japan
Theme: Strategies for the funeral industry in response to declining birthrates and aging populations
Organizers: China Funeral Association, jointly with Japan Sakura-an and the Japan Funeral Association

Introduction: Following the successful first conference in December 2023, the Second China-Japan Funeral Culture Exchange Conference was held again in Fukuoka, further deepening exchanges.

Conference Size
Participants: 20
Participating countries: China, Japan
Exhibiting companies: Chinese and Japanese funeral product and service providers set up booths for display.

Core Topics
The impact of and opportunities from declining birthrates and aging populations on the funeral industries in China and Japan
Responding to facility capacity in Japan’s “many-death society” and against the backdrop of China’s aging population
Mechanisms for handling “lonely deaths” amid the rise in solitary living
Promotion strategies for pre-planning services

China-Japan Practices in Green Burial
Japan’s experience in popularizing tree burial and sea burial
China’s land-saving ecological burial policies and promotion

Application of Funeral Technology
Operating models of online memorial platforms
Latest advances in energy-saving cremation furnace technology
Digital transformation of funeral management systems

Cultural Demonstration
Japan Sakura-an specially presents: “Traditional Aesthetics in Modern Funerals” — a live demonstration of a modern farewell ceremony integrating Shinto and Buddhist elements.

Field Visits
Participants visited in groups:
Fukuoka City Municipal Funeral Hall: learning about the operating model of Japan’s public funeral facilities
Munakata City Tree Burial Forest: observing the planning and management of one of Japan’s first tree-burial demonstration areas
Traditional funeral palanquin workshop: visiting Fukuoka’s last remaining traditional funeral palanquin craftsmen

Key Outcomes
Signing of the Fukuoka Declaration — the funeral associations of China and Japan jointly pledged to:
Establish a China-Japan funeral culture data-sharing platform
Promote cross-regional exchange of experience in green burial methods
Hold a China-Japan Funeral Culture Festival every two years
Announced that Japan Sakura-an will cooperate with the China Funeral Association to incorporate the successful experience of the Fukuoka conference into the design of the “Cultural Demonstration” segment of future China-Japan funeral forums.