WELCOME TO OUR BLOG
Welcome to the SevenPonds.com blog – a community-driven extension of SevenPonds.com! I hope you find comfort and community in the resources and stories featured here. I’m always happy to hear from readers and can be reached at suzette@sevenponds.com.
FEATURED
-
Our Annual Seven Holiday Gifts for Someone Who Is Grieving, 2024 Edition: Gracious gifts that spread love and beauty -
“Making Mobiles” by Karolina Merska: An artist’s manual on how to create beautiful Polish pajaki -
“Hands Up to the Sky” by Michael Franti & Spearhead: A surprisingly upbeat song about acknowledging both loss and the beauty of life
-
Categories
Tag Archives: Japan
Bizarre Death Ritual: 19th Century Buddhist Self-Mummification
This short-lived death ritual was believed to be a road to enlightenment.
In late 1800s Japan, several Buddhist monks called Sokushinbutsu attempted the rare ritual of self-mummification. Driven by the Buddhist quest for enlightenment and the belief that this requires non-attachment from the physical body, these monks prepared to take their own lives … Continue reading
Kaze-no-Oka Crematorium in Japan
The beautiful structure blends into the landscape for ultimate serenity.
There is no end to the breath-taking variety of crematorium designs around the world, and we haven’t looked at one on SevenPonds in quite a while. This stunning crematorium by Maki and Associates in Japan offers a space for reflection. Kaze-no-Oka … Continue reading
Posted in Soulful Expressions
Tagged Architecture, Art and Death, Cemeteries, Crematory, Death, Design, Japan, Kaze-no-Oka
1 Comment
Japan’s Hotel for the Dead
Lastel addresses overcrowding in crematoriums and offers families a place to pay their respects
With the cremation rate in Japan at almost one hundred percent and the country’s death rate on the rise, it’s no surprise that the country faces the challenge of overcrowded crematoriums. In response, Yokohama-based Hisayoshi Teramura has opened Lastel, a “hotel” … Continue reading
The Labyrinthine Path through Grief
Artist Motoi Yamamoto's installations are exercises to aid his healing.
Japanese installation artist Motoi Yamamoto was born in Onomichi, Hiroshima, and worked in a dockyard before studying at Kanazawa College of Art. He now lives in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. After his sister’s death to brain cancer over a decade ago, … Continue reading
Posted in Soulful Expressions
Tagged Art, Cancer, Death, Grief, Healing, Installation, Japan, Motoi Yamamoto
4 Comments
A Look at Japanese Funeral Practices
Cultural Traditions in a Country with Almost 100% Cremation Rate
Japan has the highest cremation rate in the world, over 99%, with some local governments even banning burials. Until after World War II, cremation was reserved for the rich, but once the cleanliness and efficiency of the practice were recognized, … Continue reading
Posted in Cultural Perspectives
Tagged Burial, Cremation, Culture, Family, Funeral, Japan, Tradition
12 Comments
A House Awaiting Death
A special assignment for the EASTERN Design office.
On the outskirts of Ise, Japan, the architects of EASTERN Design erected this elevated structure upon a unique request from a client: “I will die in 15 years,” the client told them. “It will be a house awaiting that death. … Continue reading
