"For many families, encounters with priests at Buddhist temples are confined only to funerals. As the role of religion in Japan continues to fade, does this spell their demise?" With the above lead-in, business weekly Shukan Tokyo Keizai (June 10) launches into a 32-page section of reports covering the crisis that organized religion now faces in Japan. As of 2020, the total number of firms operating funeral services is believed to have increased fivefold, to 2,544, making the business much more competitive. As one veteran operator told the magazine, "If rates keep dropping like this, instead of funeral services, we'll wind up as no more than 'corpse processors.'"

Source: Los Angeles Times June 12, 2023 10:48 UTC