I’m not saying I disagree with this, and I understand the desire of many Japanese people for privacy. However, it’s something that has always interested me, particularly after the deaths of Miyu Matsuki, Kouji Wada, and Maon Kurosaki, all of which were announced days to weeks after their deaths and often after their funeral has already been done. I’m particularly interested to know what are the cultural reasons behind this practice, where the deaths of Japanese public figures are often not announced immediately (unless of course, they’re sudden or tragic, like Sayaka Kanda or Shinzo Abe’s).
The main reason I’m interested to know why is because, as far as I know, this is not the case for other Asian cultures, even in East Asia. Even in places like China and South Korea, deaths are usually announced the day they happen or at most a day later, and usually before the funeral takes place regardless if it is a private funeral or not (unlike in Japan where it’s often announced only after the funeral is already done). To me, this suggests it’s a Japan-specific cultural thing, and it’s something I’ve been curious about for a long time. So what are the cultural reasons behind this practice? Is there something specific to Japanese culture or society that has resulted in this?
Note: I’m not sure if I have asked about this on this sub before, so I apologize if I already have.
https://www.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/14gsc26/what_are_the_cultural_reasons_why_its_common_for/
2 comments
Depends on the family. Even if they are public figures, they still were part of their families. And their families will decide when they let the public know.
Absolute privacy and immediate, intimate family ceremonies. When my parents passed we held their services the very next day. They were high profile and we didn’t want to churn the rumor mill and stir up gossip. There’s slight respite doing things your way before the levee breaks. No mystic wonder.