Today (December 23rd) is the birthday of the current Japanese emperor, Akihito, who happens to be the 125th ruler in an unbroken line that stretches back for 2000 years. The reign of each emperor has an “era name,” with the current one being Heisei (“peace everywhere”), and since 2013 is the 25th year of Akihito’s reign the year is nearly always referred to as Heisei 25 inside Japan. It’s unknown how many more years the Heisei Era has left, since the Emperor is getting up in years, having reached the age of 79 with health problems ranging from prostate cancer to a heart condition requiring bypass surgery. Last month the Emperor did something quite remarkable: he released a document outlining his wishes for a funeral and burial for himself and his wife, Empress Michiko. This was unique because, for all the “death culture” that foreigners observe when they arrive in Japan, there’s very little forward thinking about preparing for death. In America, it’s quite common to write a will outlining your wishes or create a living trust to protect your family’s assets from undue taxes upon your death, but these kinds of preparations aren’t done in Japan at all, and even bringing up the subject is a big taboo, as I’ve learned by accidentally raising the issue with my Japanese in-laws. Hopefully with the Emperor’s embracing of the subject, more Japanese will think positively about making preparations for the future.
The Emperor and his wife are thinking about the future.
