This article briefly summarizes information regarding Buddhist tombs (which comprise the majority of tombs in Japan) tombstones and the tombstone industry.
| 1. |
History of tombs |
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The word sekito (stone pagoda) originated from the old
Indian term stupa, which means “pagoda.” It is said that the word
stupa was transliterated as sotoba in Chinese, which was then shortened
to to in Japanese. Therefore, it can be assumed that the ritual of holding
memorial services for the dead by making stone pagodas was introduced to
Japan from India along with Buddhism. Gorinto, considered a unique Japanese
shape of tombstone, is also said to be an image of the pot containing Buddha’s
ashes, placed within a stupa.The rectangular column-shaped sekito, currently
the most commonly seen in Japan, was influenced by the memorial tablet-shaped
stone pagodas of China, developing into its current shape over many years.
There are many kinds of stones used for tombstones today, but the most popular
is granite. Meanwhile, the standard for one tomb lot in Japan is approximately
5m2.
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| 2. |
The stone industry |
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Tombstones, the central symbol of tombs, are one of the
many products made with stone; here is some information on the stone industry
in general.Below is a rough estimate of market structure by field in the
Japanese stone industry.
| Tombstone industry |
270 to 280 billion yen |
| Construction/dimension stones |
90 to 110 billion yen |
| Atmosphere stone works |
45 to 48 billion yen |
| Stone sculptures |
22 to 24 billion yen |
| Stone cutters/processing equipment |
14 to 18 billion yen |
| Total |
441 to 480 billion yen |
As can be seen from the above, the tombstone industry is
most major field , accounting for about 60% of the stone industry.
The general trend in the stone industry in the recent years is for dependency
on China to become quite high. In other words, manufacturing bases have
moved to China; it has even come to the stage where some domestic raw stones
are processed in China. Further, from the international perspective, the
Japan-China relationship in the stone trade is largest in scale.
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| 3. |
Transition of the tombstone industry |
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From hereon, the topic will be tombstones and their industry,
the main subject of this article.
a. Outlook on demand
The demand estimate is based on the number of deaths, which, overall, is
expected to increase during the next three decades, in which the baby-boom
generation is expected to pass away; after that, the number will gradually
decrease due to the declining birthrate etc.
Although the number of deaths will increase in the next few decades, the
market size of the tombstone industry is expected to decrease gradually
due to price competition, tomb simplification and the popularization of
tombs with permanent memorial service. (See “c ”,for details of
tombs with permanent memorial service.).
b. Trend toward transfer to overseas
As mentioned above, the domestic stone industry itself is hollowing out,
as is the case with many traditional Japanese industries. Amidst the trend
(generated by the appreciating yen) toward moving manufacture bases to developing
countries with low labor costs, the tombstone industry, like other industries,
is now moving its long-cultivated traditional skills overseas.
Stone product importation began over 30 years ago from South Korea. These
were not tombstones, but were mainly non-complicated processed goods such
as steppingstones and lanterns. At that time, there was an offer from South
Korea to sell raw stones with the purpose of acquiring foreign currency;
there was hardly any processing technology in South Korea, where they were
unable to process tombstones that required sophisticated skills. In 1973,
a company in Japan established a subsidiary in South Korea; this marked
the beginning of the partnership of stone industries in Japan and South
Korea. From then on, many domestic companies expanded to South Korea, and
with technical guidance from Japan and implementation of the latest facilities,
South Korean tombstones have now reached a level of quality equal to domestic
ones. However, due to a low-price offensive by China and a price collapse
in the overall Japanese funeral business, the current mainstream in the
Japanese tombstone market is Chinese products.
Tombstone imports from China began approximately 30 years ago, as in South
Korea, but expansion to China by Japanese corporations took a little more
time. A joint venture was established by a Japanese company in Fujian in
1985, which led to the establishment of a number of other joint-ventures;
in 1994, China exceeded South Korea in import amount. Many plants in China
have acquired ISO certification, in consideration of the Japanese market,
which emphasizes quality, and the types of stones they handle are increasing
from just granite to include Italian marble, etc.; it is becoming an international
stone processing industry.
Further, plants etc. have been established in India by companies from South
Korea and other countries; they are beginning to process tombstones for
export to Japan.
Currently, the total domestic tombstone demand is approximately 280,000
per year; below is the breakdown.
Imported produc 240,000 plus several thousand
(of these, Chinese products: 240,000, South Korean products: several thousand,
Indian products: about 1,000)
Processed in Japan 38,000
(of these, imported material: 20,000, domestic material: 18,000)
c. New trend
Due to changing views regarding tombs, increasing difficulty in acquiring
space in urban areas and for other reasons, new types of tombs are emerging,
as listed below.
First, tombs differing in appearance/structure:
(1).Standardized tombstone: tombstones processed in China or other countries
into three-step tombs or Western-style tombs.
(2).Cemetery building: cemeteries using the basement or rooftop of the
main building of a temple, or a building especially for tombs.
(3).Charnel type: where ashes are placed in a special location within temples
as the resting place. This includes indoor (sometimes outdoor) locker-type
tombs.
(4).Wall-type tombs: seeks to make efficient use of limited land.
(5).Original tombs for individuals: tombs created using unique ideas and
designs by individuals. This type includes tombs using marble.
(6).Plate-type: where ashes are buried in grassy lawns and a plate is placed
over them.
Secondly, tombs differing mainly in their usage:
(1).Fixed-term tomb: established to prevent unpaid management expenses,
should the tomb become deserted.
(2).Non-religious or highly-religious tombs: tombstones with non-religious
words such as “dream,” “peace” and “love”
engraved on them, or those engraved with prayers of various religious sects
such as “namuamidabutsu” instead of the traditional “tomb
of xxxx family” are increasing.
(3).Tombs for two families joined by marriage, or for husband and wife:
due to changes in family structure, some tombs are for two families joined
by the marriage of a son and daughter, and some for just the husband and
wife.
(4).Tombs with permanent memorial service: tombs created within a temple
by those who know beforehand that, after death, no one will be left to take
care of the tomb. Memorial service is conducted by the resident priest for
a fixed period.
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| 4. |
The future of the tombstone industry |
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As stated above, the tombstone industry is struggling,
and as with other industries, is carrying out various measures to provide
new services that match the trends of the times and find a means of survival.
Here are some specific examples.
(1). Implementation of “Ohaka Director System”
This system tests participants concerning “wide-ranging knowledge and
education regarding tombs in order to promote correct understanding and
popularization of Japanese tomb culture.” Since 2004, the test is held
annually by the Japan Stone Industrial Association, helping raise awareness
in those engaged in related businesses.
(2).Issuance of “Home proof of Stone”
In response to the wishes of consumers to have accurate information regarding
the products they are to purchase, just as with origin indication of foods
etc., certificate is issued by the Japan Stone Industrial Association, including
information on the stone type, country of origin, location of processing,
name of importer and name of distributor.
(3).Launching related services
Typical case of such services is tombstone cleaning. Cleaning tombstones
and removing graffiti etc. requires specialized knowledge; some companies
are already making use of this knowledge and experience to expand their
franchise networks nationwide. This will become a foothold for seeking out
new demands, such as tomb reforming and rehabilitation.
Values and the social environment will continue to change in Japan; it is
difficult not to wonder what type of tombs will be built several decades
from now - to say nothing of several centuries - and how those tombs will
be visited/serviced.
Lastly, here is the transition in imports of raw stone as well as products
of granite, the most popular stone for tombstones, by major exporting countries.
Transition in imports of raw granite (Weight)
(Unit: 1,000 t) |
| |
1991 |
1994 |
1997 |
2000 |
2003 |
| South Korea |
242.6 |
169.6 |
69.2 |
21.5 |
2.1 |
| China |
296.4 |
312.6 |
154.2 |
46.1 |
10.9 |
| India |
212.5 |
180.9 |
93.7 |
38.7 |
14.1 |
| Other |
408.9 |
313.2 |
215.7 |
116.1 |
31.8 |
| Total |
1,160.4 |
976.3 |
532.8 |
222.4
|
58.9 |
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Transition in imports of granite products (Amount)
(Unit: million yen) |
| |
1991 |
1994 |
1997 |
2000 |
2003 |
| South Korea |
28,681.9 |
16,629.4 |
8,811.2 |
1,992.7 |
591.1 |
| China |
5,916.2 |
24,993.4 |
60,355.5 |
60,228.9
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73,012.3 |
| India |
2,488.2 |
2,743.7 |
3,001.7 |
1,325.4 |
1,197.0 |
| Other |
22,176.1 |
6,266.0 |
6,516.0 |
3,274.6 |
1,672.0 |
| Total |
59,262.4 |
50,632.5 |
78,684.4 |
66,821.6 |
76,472.4 |
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(This article was based on “The Stone Industry Yearbook, 2004 Edition”
published by Sekibunsha Co., Ltd. Prior permission was given by Sekibunsha
in writing out this article.) |
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