Bit of an unusual request, but I’m hoping someone on this sub can help me out.
My grandmother passed away recently and I’m trying to figure out how to properly pay homage to her Japanese heritage as I work on designing a gravestone for her.
She was born and raised in Japan, but moved over to the US when she was a young woman. I don’t know any of my family in Japan, and the few Japanese relatives I had in the US passed before my grandmother, so I don’t have anyone to whom I can ask questions about Japanese customs and traditions.
I have the option of adding Japanese characters to the gravestone and I would love to include my grandmother’s Japanese name, but I’m not sure what the normal conventions are for writing someone’s name on their gravestone in Japan. I already know the correct kanji for my grandmother’s name, so I’m mainly trying to figure out if I just include her full name, or if I include the word “haka” (tomb) in the inscription. I have seen “haka” used on family tombs, but I’m not sure if that would be considered correct for a single person’s gravesite.
For privacy’s sake, I won’t use my grandmother’s real name. But for reference, here is what I’m considering:
松本花子墓 = Matsumoto Hanako Haka (Surname GivenName Tomb)
松本花子 = Matsumoto Hanako (Surname GivenName)
Any suggestions or alternate considerations? I’d love any guidance I can get!
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by lecharp
