Visiting the Family Graveyard

Visiting graves is a cultural practice in Japan to remember and honour deceased family members and ancestors. People clean the graves, offer flowers and incense, and pray with their hands together. It expresses gratitude and maintains a sense of connection with those who have passed away. It is often done during special occasions such as Obon and Higan, as well as on death anniversaries or other meaningful days.

In my area in this country, people also visit graves, but the style is a bit different from the Japanese one. I don’t have a picture of my visit, because it is not appropriate to take private photos at a grave. There was nobody except us when we visited. It was very peaceful and quiet on that rainy day.

There was an old black telephone near a bench, which was for family members to “call” someone who had passed away. You can call your loved ones and talk about whatever you like. I think there is also a letter-writing space in Japan as well. People in the community take care of those letters together with Buddhist temples after they are written and collected. I thought this telephone idea was also wonderful.