FUTTSU, Chiba -- A funeral company in this east Japan city in business for over 120 years this September began offering an experience aiming to allow visitors a chance to think about their ultimate fate.

'Depressed people in particular should come'

The "into-the-coffin cafe" on the company's premises uses three elaborate coffins designed by the maker "Grave Tokyo." Those who choose to undergo the experience have unlimited time and are free to take photos.

The idea began with the goals of using the coffins and creating something new for the local economy. But, the company's 48-year-old president, Kiyotaka Hirano, had something else in mind, too. Through the company, he had had the experience of communicating with those who lost loved ones to suicide, and felt frustrated by not being able to help.

"While we want people to take pictures and have a lively experience, we also want people who are down or have hit a wall in their lives to enter the coffins. Coming out of them means that you have been reborn and your life has been reset. I want them to feel that they can start their lives anew," Hirano said.

Challenging the 'taboo' of death

The president also explained his hope that visitors may get some time to think about their own death, a topic often overlooked as a taboo. "People may think about it when they are told they have a limited time to live, but it is hard to think about death in everyday life. In the pitch-black darkness of the coffin, one can think about their remaining life and the final days of loved ones," Hirano commented.

Some of the comments in response to articles on the cafe included, "That's disrespectful," and "That's a bad omen," but to such critics, Hirano responded that "this is the result of thinking about what we could do as a funeral company."

Reservations are required, and the experience costs 2,200 yen (around $14.50) per person, tax included. As of early October, the company had made around 20 reservations for the experience, reportedly with many inquiries from those in the younger generations. Inquiries in Japanese can be made to Hirano at 090-4135-3072.

(Japanese original by Ayano Tanaka, Tokyo City News Department)