Rules related to the grave you want to keep

The grave is a place where the clan sleeps for the Japanese, and it also has a meaning as a place for the clan. In recent years, many families do not have graves, but even so, they cannot be free from "graves".

When I go to the funeral of another house, I sometimes go to the grave for bone-laying. You should also remember that the Obon period is featured in the news as a homecoming period on the Japanese calendar.

Aside from having or not having a grave, "graves" are involved in Japanese life. Even if the number of graves decreases in the future, the relationship between Japanese people and graves will not change much.

Therefore, I would like to talk about "rules about graves" so that you can deepen your knowledge about graves that are deeply related to Japanese life. This is the knowledge you need to know because it is a grave that has a rooted influence on the lives and culture of the Japanese people. In Q & A format, we will introduce "Trivia of the grave you want to know" in order.

Q1. Where can I build a grave on my own land?

"I'm thinking of building a grave from now on. However, it has been said that the grounds of nearby temples and reiens are no longer available. I like my dad and the place with a good view, and I definitely want to sleep in a place with a good view. Also, my mother likes her current home, which incorporates her hobbies, and even if she feels sick, she refuses to be hospitalized or move into an elderly housing with care. As for my mother, I want to sleep at home after death. Although the tomb belongs to the clan, it is purchased and built by an individual. Isn't it okay to build it freely on your own site? "

A grave is a land that you decide and buy with your family. However, while being a "thing," it is also a symbol of the clan. It may be natural to want to build it where your family wants it. However, even if I wanted to do so, there is a question, "I want to build a grave in a place with a good view or at home. Is that OK?" How is it?

A. "You can't build a grave wherever you like."

This is the answer. You may think that you can freely build a grave on your own site.

Even in the mountains or sightseeing spots, you may think that you can use the land as you like if you buy the land with a good view. However, there is a rule that a grave must be built unless it is "land where a grave can be built (land for a grave)". This is strictly determined by the "Law Concerning Cemeteries, Burials, etc."

The tombs are both personal and clan. And at the same time as belonging to the clan, not only personal circumstances but also "public" is involved. Please note that you are not free to build a grave even on your own site.

If you or your family have a desire, such as "I like a graveyard with a good view" or "I like my home," look for a reien, a public graveyard of a local government, or a temple with a graveyard that meets the conditions as much as possible and build a grave. It will be.

Q2. Is it okay to reburial the grave or end the grave without permission?

"I have decided to move to another municipality. I would like to move the grave because it will be difficult to visit the grave. If it is difficult to move, we are considering disposing of the grave (the end of the grave). It's the grave of my own house, so it's okay to do this without permission, right? Is there any procedure required? "

It is often difficult to manage a grave due to a move or the disappearance of a family living in the area. If it becomes difficult to manage, it is possible to move the grave to match the current living base or to end the grave itself. Since graves are purchased individually by each family and house, it is easy to think that it is okay to go to "reburial" and "end of grave" without permission. But this is a mistake.

A. "Movement of the grave and the end of the grave are not good things to do without permission."

Moving the grave or ending the grave is not something you can do on your own. It is necessary to notify the local government and obtain permission. Of course, as a prerequisite for obtaining permission, it is also necessary to consult with the priest or local government who manages the reien or graveyard where the grave is currently located.

Tombs belong to individuals and families as well as to the "public". The word "public" is the key to knowledge about tombs.

Q3. How about dumping garbage in the grave? Is it okay to cut down bamboo trees without permission?

"I came to visit the grave for the first time in a long time. Perhaps because we haven't cleaned it for a while, weeds are growing as much as we want, and the bamboo grove in the grave is also quite thick. I would like to mow the grass and cut down some bamboo forests if possible. This is part of cleaning the grave, so it's okay to go without consulting anyone, right? 』\

When you clean the grave, you will get garbage such as grass that you pulled out. For this garbage, each graveyard may have a garbage dump, so if there is a garbage dump, dispose of it properly. Even if you make a mistake, do not throw it away from the garbage dump. There are rules in the grave that "do not throw away unclean things" and "do not pollute".

A. "It is a violation to cut it without permission."

If you want to cut down the bamboo trees in your grave as part of cleaning the grave, if the bamboo trees are growing too much and you are stretching branches and leaves to your grave, or if the sunshine conditions are extremely bad, you can do it yourself. Don't cut down at your own discretion, but first consult with the graveyard manager.

Also, as a caveat, it is necessary to keep in mind how to spend time in the grave.

The graves belong to individuals, families and families. The site where the grave is located is the land rented from the graveyard manager as land for the graveyard. Because I rent it, I tend to think that I can use it at my own house. When cleaning a grave or visiting a grave, you may forget to consider it because there is a grave in the graveyard.

Although the grave belongs to an individual, family, or clan, it has the aspect of being public, and there is a rule that "you must not lose gratitude to the dead." It is a rule to keep in mind when visiting a grave or cleaning a grave.

Finally

The graves will be built by renting land for the graves in consultation with the manager of each reien and the chief priest of the temple.

Certainly there is a contract, so graves and grave land have the characteristics of "individual", "family-managed" and "family-protected". However, while graves belong to individuals and homes, they also have the property of being public.

The reason why "public" is so involved is that in Japan, graves are important to the region, sometimes the object of worship, and the basis of the heart. There are also hygienic reasons such as plague.

In many ways, the grave was "a thing that is deeply involved in the lives of local residents" and "a thing that local residents protect." Because that property has been passed down to this day, it has the peculiarity of being both own and public.

The grave has laws, etiquette, and rules that are not found in houses and residential land. Since graves are deeply involved in Japanese life, I would like to know these laws, rules, and manners as knowledge.