Shukatsu (end-of-life planning)

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Shūkatsu, or end-of-life planning, is about getting ready for the final years and thinking about death in advance. In Japan, the population grew after World War II but has started to shrink since around 2010 because fewer babies are being born. At the same time, people are living longer, so more seniors are 65 and older. By about 2035, about one in three people in Japan may be 65 or older. As the baby-boomer generation ages, many will need care and eventually pass away, so more people are thinking about how to prepare.

Today, families often have only one child or none, and nearby communities aren’t as close as they used to be. This makes end-of-life planning more important, so that burdens don’t fall on the younger generation.

Key parts of planning include deciding how you want your funeral and burial to be, organizing personal affairs so you don’t cause trouble for others, and making sure inheritance goes smoothly for survivors. The word shūkatsu is believed to have started in a magazine and spread after articles published in 2009. It gained attention, won awards, and grew into a social trend and a growing industry.

Organizations and businesses now help people plan ahead. In 2012, the first group focused on shūkatsu began in Hokkaido and later became the Japan for End-of-Life Planning. A 2013 magazine and a 2014 calendar helped people think about these issues more casually. Local governments and companies also provide support. For example, Yokosuka City runs a program called End-of-Life Information Registration (often called My End-of-Life Registration) to help people with few or no relatives store where their will and grave information are kept.

Funeral services, trust banks, and other businesses are involved in end-of-life planning, and fairs like ENDEX JAPAN show related services.

The main idea is to state your wishes in advance—how you want to be cared for, how your belongings should be handled, and how your funeral should be done—before you might lose the ability to tell people. Planning ahead helps prevent confusion and eases worries for family and friends.