Skip to content

LIVE

Hearing laughter may cause orangutans to value rewards more◆El Niño is threatening California's fragile coast again, the 1982, 83 El Niño opened eyes to the serious erosion risks◆Hormuz Disruption Threatens to Ignite a Global Food Security Crisis◆Flapping Airplanes Raises $1 Billion to Redefine AI Data Efficiency◆US Polls Show Record Support for Democrats as Voters Seek Check on Trump◆Japan's expensive funerals and declining birthrates are transforming ancestral traditions◆Salt marshes are proving to be powerful allies in building a climate-resilient coastline◆Trump says data centers should generate their own electricity — but experts say only states can mandate that◆Hearing laughter may cause orangutans to value rewards more◆El Niño is threatening California's fragile coast again, the 1982, 83 El Niño opened eyes to the serious erosion risks◆Hormuz Disruption Threatens to Ignite a Global Food Security Crisis◆Flapping Airplanes Raises $1 Billion to Redefine AI Data Efficiency◆US Polls Show Record Support for Democrats as Voters Seek Check on Trump◆Japan's expensive funerals and declining birthrates are transforming ancestral traditions◆Salt marshes are proving to be powerful allies in building a climate-resilient coastline◆Trump says data centers should generate their own electricity — but experts say only states can mandate that◆

Science

Japan's expensive funerals and declining birthrates are transforming ancestral traditions

Whenever I drive amid the mazelike bustle of Tokyo's Shuto Expressway, where approximately 1 million vehicles transit daily, I see billboard advertisements for all manner of businesses: dentists, hotels, car and tire companies, and affordable funerals. Lots and lots of funerals.

Phys.org ScienceOctober 21, 20261 min read

Japan's expensive funerals and declining birthrates are transforming ancestral traditions

Whenever I drive amid the mazelike bustle of Tokyo's Shuto Expressway, where approximately 1 million vehicles transit daily, I see billboard advertisements for all manner of businesses: dentists, hotels, car and tire companies, and affordable funerals. Lots and lots of funerals.

📡 Verified Wire Agency Verified Resource & Provenance

Original Resource

Phys.org Science

Read Wire Dispatch → Share on 𝕏

✉

The Next Brief

Get the day's most important stories in one email

AI-curated morning digest. No noise. Unsubscribe anytime.

Comments 0

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

Advertisement

Related stories

Hearing laughter may cause orangutans to value rewards more

Phys.org Science · October 21, 2026

El Niño is threatening California's fragile coast again, the 1982, 83 El Niño opened eyes to the serious erosion risks

Phys.org Science · October 21, 2026

Salt marshes are proving to be powerful allies in building a climate-resilient coastline

Phys.org Science · October 21, 2026

AI designs functional enzyme components that could help expand drug discovery

Phys.org Science · October 21, 2026

Most read