Shrine Survives With Sea Burial Services

Kitakyushu, Nov 10 (News On Japan) - The Mekari Shrine near the Kanmon Strait, connecting Honshu and Kyushu, has overcome a financial crisis through an unconventional initiative: a marine ash scattering business. Drawing on local customs, the shrine began offering plans starting from 70,000 yen, allowing families to have ashes scattered at sea in a ceremony managed by the shrine itself.

Over 11 years, the number of such services reached 3,700, increasing the shrine’s revenue thirty-fourfold to 170 million yen.

The shrine, with a history spanning 1,800 years, had been struggling to sustain itself on annual earnings of just 5 million yen. Inspired by the local tradition of sending the deceased out to sea on small boats, the shrine launched its own ash-scattering service, with the lowest-priced plan involving the shrine staff performing the ritual on behalf of the bereaved.

A new ceremonial hall was also built, designed to evoke the sea with water and a casket resembling a small boat. The shrine has since expanded its business into franchising, establishing a company separate from its religious activities to share its know-how nationwide.

Among the franchise partners is Hinoe Shrine in Kitakyushu, which adopted Mekari’s method using water-soluble paper bags for ashes and personalized name tags written by families. Mekari Shrine provides partners with practical support, including legal guidance based on government regulations, coordination with local authorities and ship operators, and even assistance in creating websites and promotional strategies. The royalty fee is set at 15 percent per contract, and seven shrines have already joined the franchise network.

With staff expanding from one to twelve, Mekari Shrine aims to have 35 affiliated shrines and 370 million yen in royalty income by 2030. Beyond ash scattering, it is also working to strengthen its brand by collaborating with traditional craftsman Nakagawa Masashoten to redesign amulets and talismans, offering the designs to partner shrines as well.

Japan has more than 80,000 shrines—outnumbering convenience stores—but many face closure due to depopulation. By merging tradition with modern business strategy, Mekari Shrine has presented a new model for shrine management in an era of demographic decline.

Source: Television OSAKA NEWS

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