Pet Charnel Houses in Japan

In Japan, dogs today live an average of 11.9 years, in the 1960's when dog food was first introduced they lived up to three years. A pet owner whose pet has died can have the cremation done at their homes with a Buddhist priest at the funeral ceremony and have the ashes placed in a charnel house. Some pets are given funerals like those given people, where the deceased is placed on a futon and family gather around for an all-night wake. Afterwards an altar with the pet’s picture is set up.

Though burying your pet in a pet cemetery is available,  cremation is optimal. The ashes can then be picked up and taken home, or you can pay for a 'plot', which resembles a cubby hole in the pet memorial charnel house. These charnel houses charge yearly for space and give you enough room to store your pets ashes along with a photo and often something that belonged to the pet such as a toy, or their collar and leash.