"This original and stimulating book presents detailed ethnographic information on a little-known aspect of Japanese society. It is a lively and moving account, with many interesting analytic points. The author's behind-the-scenes perspective on the funeral industry and the symbols and social markers involved in their performance of the funeral are fascinating." --Theodore Bestor, Cornell University
"[The Price of Death] makes an excellent contribution to our understanding of the nature of a Japanese enterprise from an economic point of view and with a rich fund of ethnographic insight."--Enterprise & Society
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Introduction: commercial funerals for contemporary Japanese; 1. Death rituals in anthropology and Japanese folklore studies; 2. The history of Japanese funeral traditions; 3. The phase of negated death; 4. The funeral ceremony: rites of passage; 5. Funeral professionals at moon rise; 6. Funeral professionals outside of moon rise; 7. The commoditization of the bathing ceremony; Conclusion: the shift to commercialization and mass consumption; Notes; Bibliography; Index.
