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納棺夫日記
＂死＂と向い合うことは、＂生＂を考えること。長年、納棺の仕事に取り組んだ筆者が育んできた詩心と哲学を澄明な文で綴る＂生命の本＂
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1996
8 people are currently reading
336 people want to read
About the author
Shinmon Aoki
9 booksShinmon Aoki (Japanese: 青木 新門) ) is a Japanese writer and poet. He is best known for his memoirs Coffinman:The Journal of a Buddhist Mortician, published in 1993. The book was based on his diaries during a period in which he worked as a mortician in the 1970s, a profession which is traditionally regarded as a taboo in Japan due to their perception of death. In 2008 his memoirs were made into a successful Academy Award-winning feature film, Departures.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 4, 2016
Shinmon Aoki writes about his job as a Shin Buddhist mortician. He explains how death is a taboo subject and working with the dead is frowned up and dishonorable.
He explains the different beliefs of Shin Buddhism, especially about their belief in death and afterlife. Aoki includes beautiful poetry and the way he wrote was just as poetical.
There are three sections and overall it is a short book. I did enjoy it but I lost a bit of interest in the end. I think this is the first book of a Mortician from a different culture that we do not know a lot about.
He explains the different beliefs of Shin Buddhism, especially about their belief in death and afterlife. Aoki includes beautiful poetry and the way he wrote was just as poetical.
There are three sections and overall it is a short book. I did enjoy it but I lost a bit of interest in the end. I think this is the first book of a Mortician from a different culture that we do not know a lot about.
January 17, 2019
It's about death. I found the beginning—where he tells the story of the genesis of his work as a mortician—much more interesting than the latter parts, where he muses philosophically, religiously, and scientifically about the very final moments of life. Can't say that I recommend it. But if you're on a death kick, why not?
April 30, 2019
This review was originally written for the NCTA Teacher Materials Database.
Coffinman, by Shinmon Aoki, is the memoir of a Shin Buddhist mortician. This short, albeit deeply philosophical, work is broken into three parts: “The Season of Sleet,” “What Dying Means,” and “The Light and Life.” The first two parts reflect on Aoki’s experiences preparing bodies for burial. Through these experiences, which are paired with beautiful poetry, he reveals threads of Buddhist beliefs, which are eventually woven together in a way that feels simultaneously fragmented and complete. Aoki seeks to share the beliefs of Shin Buddhism through the way in which people experience life and (possibly more importantly) death. The first two parts of the book read in a tone that is a combination of conversation and stream of consciousness, combined with occasional humor. What appears to be random vignettes of memory come together, sometimes subtly, to illustrate complex Buddhist philosophy and pose deeper questions about – not the value of life, but— the value of death. The reader’s experience is much like the philosophy Aoki communicates—simple yet contradictory, peaceful yet chaotic, resolved yet unsettled. Ultimately, the memoir leaves the impact of profound understanding and deep seeded questions that stir the heart and mind to seek more.
The focus of the book is on the Amida Buddha, or Buddha of Infinite Life, also known as Tathagata. The shifting titles may be confusing to the Western layperson, but appropriate for something so obscure and intangible. Aoki’s inclusion of Western philosophies, science, and religion, as a means of connecting common beliefs, is as spiritually gratifying as it is intellectually synthetic. Additionally, his use of literature and poetry to compliment the exposition of Shin Buddhism and Japanese culture guides the reader to clarity and reflection. Initially developing the concept of the Light as he experiences it in his work as the Coffinman, he delves into the complex analysis of Light as an expression of the Big Bang, quantum physics, God, Amida Buddha, and the by-product of death. Though the last part is a heavy read, and I almost felt tricked into it by the meandering tales of coffins and death at the fore, I willingly continued my fall into the intricate and holistic examination of the Shin Buddhist vision of the hereafter.
I plan to use this memoir with Grade 12 students in a course about world religions; it would also be appropriate for Grade 11, and possibly for a small and mature group of Grade 10 students. It is an excellent resource and discussion point to talk about basic elements of Buddhism, as well as introduce students to a different branch and school of Buddhism than they may be exposed to through introductory courses. The book begs discussion and should only be incorporated into a course if there is ample time for dialogue. As I read the book, I did not come up with a list of topics to teach—for the book does a good job of explaining the core concepts—but, rather, I found myself generating a list of questions to ask students. In one early section of the book, Aoki talks about different interpretations of a “beautiful death.” Of course this is something most people would hope for, though I had never contemplated the divergent ways this could be interpreted. He gives examples from suicide and self-isolation to hara-kari, all of which have been “beautiful deaths” for one or another. Beyond the religious revelations, the memoir introduces cultural norms which can only be looked at through the discussion of death and the divergent views attached to it by societies and times.
Coffinman, by Shinmon Aoki, is the memoir of a Shin Buddhist mortician. This short, albeit deeply philosophical, work is broken into three parts: “The Season of Sleet,” “What Dying Means,” and “The Light and Life.” The first two parts reflect on Aoki’s experiences preparing bodies for burial. Through these experiences, which are paired with beautiful poetry, he reveals threads of Buddhist beliefs, which are eventually woven together in a way that feels simultaneously fragmented and complete. Aoki seeks to share the beliefs of Shin Buddhism through the way in which people experience life and (possibly more importantly) death. The first two parts of the book read in a tone that is a combination of conversation and stream of consciousness, combined with occasional humor. What appears to be random vignettes of memory come together, sometimes subtly, to illustrate complex Buddhist philosophy and pose deeper questions about – not the value of life, but— the value of death. The reader’s experience is much like the philosophy Aoki communicates—simple yet contradictory, peaceful yet chaotic, resolved yet unsettled. Ultimately, the memoir leaves the impact of profound understanding and deep seeded questions that stir the heart and mind to seek more.
The focus of the book is on the Amida Buddha, or Buddha of Infinite Life, also known as Tathagata. The shifting titles may be confusing to the Western layperson, but appropriate for something so obscure and intangible. Aoki’s inclusion of Western philosophies, science, and religion, as a means of connecting common beliefs, is as spiritually gratifying as it is intellectually synthetic. Additionally, his use of literature and poetry to compliment the exposition of Shin Buddhism and Japanese culture guides the reader to clarity and reflection. Initially developing the concept of the Light as he experiences it in his work as the Coffinman, he delves into the complex analysis of Light as an expression of the Big Bang, quantum physics, God, Amida Buddha, and the by-product of death. Though the last part is a heavy read, and I almost felt tricked into it by the meandering tales of coffins and death at the fore, I willingly continued my fall into the intricate and holistic examination of the Shin Buddhist vision of the hereafter.
I plan to use this memoir with Grade 12 students in a course about world religions; it would also be appropriate for Grade 11, and possibly for a small and mature group of Grade 10 students. It is an excellent resource and discussion point to talk about basic elements of Buddhism, as well as introduce students to a different branch and school of Buddhism than they may be exposed to through introductory courses. The book begs discussion and should only be incorporated into a course if there is ample time for dialogue. As I read the book, I did not come up with a list of topics to teach—for the book does a good job of explaining the core concepts—but, rather, I found myself generating a list of questions to ask students. In one early section of the book, Aoki talks about different interpretations of a “beautiful death.” Of course this is something most people would hope for, though I had never contemplated the divergent ways this could be interpreted. He gives examples from suicide and self-isolation to hara-kari, all of which have been “beautiful deaths” for one or another. Beyond the religious revelations, the memoir introduces cultural norms which can only be looked at through the discussion of death and the divergent views attached to it by societies and times.
Currently reading
September 20, 2013Watched the movie. The movie brought back a lot of memories to me. Hope to get hold of a copy to read.
November 6, 2017
This is the book that the Japanese film, Departures, was based on. The film is light-hearted and heart-warming. The book is that and so much more.
I cannot recommend it enough.
A kind of accidental mortician, Shinmon Aoki has much to say about death and dying--and his meditation on the subject is supremely life-affirming. It is just an incredible story about a man who becomes a mortician not by any plan but because he cannot find any other job. But in the process of doing this job, his Buddhist faith blossoms in a very beautiful and perhaps unexpected way. And he becomes much more sensitive to life.
There is a long tradition in Japan of meditating on death.
One of my favorite stories by Tanizaki, Captain Shigemoto's Mother has the father of Captain Shigemoto taking refuge in religion after being left heartbroken at the loss of his (very) young wife. In order to rid himself of his ceaseless desire of her, he takes to visiting exposed grave sites so that he can meditate on rotting corpses.
This is called the Contemplation of Impurity. Arthur C Brooks, in the New York Times, wrote a bit about the Contemplation of Impurity in a piece he did earlier this year, called To be happier start thinking more about your death. In the piece, Brooks talks about the Buddhist meditation practice of Asubha bhāvanā, in which practitioners contemplate corpses in various stages of decay. The Buddha himself was said to have meditated in this way--gazing at corpses. It is said to help one move beyond the demands of the body (especially lust).
Satipatthana Sutta
If a monk sees a corpse dead one, two, or three days—swollen, blue and festering—he should think: “My own body is of the same nature; such it will become, and will not escape it.” His mindfulness is established, and he lives detached, and clings to nothing in the world. And if a monk sees a corpse thrown in the charnel ground, being eaten by crows, hawks, vultures, dogs, jackals or by different kinds of worms—Or a body reduced to a skeleton, with some flesh and blood attached to it, held together by the tendons—Or a skeleton, blood-besmeared and without flesh—Or reduced to disconnected bones, scattered in all directions—here a hand bone, there a foot bone, a shin bone, a thigh bone; the pelvis, spine and skull—He should apply this perception to his own body.
With Buddhism, Christianity shares a love of relics and an abhorrence of corporeality. This was what led Luther to famously refer to his own body as, 'this corpse, this sack of maggots'”
But is this a bad thing?
Charles Taylor says that a life properly lived affirms death and destruction. Indeed, Plato insisted in the Phaedo: "For is not philosophy the practice of death?"
I do truly believe that philosophy is and should be just that: a preparation for death. Death is not something that should be hidden away or brushed under the rug, says the accidental mortician. He says in a culture that focuses exclusively on youth, health and the living, we end up somehow less alive.
More here http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksda...
I cannot recommend it enough.
A kind of accidental mortician, Shinmon Aoki has much to say about death and dying--and his meditation on the subject is supremely life-affirming. It is just an incredible story about a man who becomes a mortician not by any plan but because he cannot find any other job. But in the process of doing this job, his Buddhist faith blossoms in a very beautiful and perhaps unexpected way. And he becomes much more sensitive to life.
There is a long tradition in Japan of meditating on death.
One of my favorite stories by Tanizaki, Captain Shigemoto's Mother has the father of Captain Shigemoto taking refuge in religion after being left heartbroken at the loss of his (very) young wife. In order to rid himself of his ceaseless desire of her, he takes to visiting exposed grave sites so that he can meditate on rotting corpses.
This is called the Contemplation of Impurity. Arthur C Brooks, in the New York Times, wrote a bit about the Contemplation of Impurity in a piece he did earlier this year, called To be happier start thinking more about your death. In the piece, Brooks talks about the Buddhist meditation practice of Asubha bhāvanā, in which practitioners contemplate corpses in various stages of decay. The Buddha himself was said to have meditated in this way--gazing at corpses. It is said to help one move beyond the demands of the body (especially lust).
Satipatthana Sutta
If a monk sees a corpse dead one, two, or three days—swollen, blue and festering—he should think: “My own body is of the same nature; such it will become, and will not escape it.” His mindfulness is established, and he lives detached, and clings to nothing in the world. And if a monk sees a corpse thrown in the charnel ground, being eaten by crows, hawks, vultures, dogs, jackals or by different kinds of worms—Or a body reduced to a skeleton, with some flesh and blood attached to it, held together by the tendons—Or a skeleton, blood-besmeared and without flesh—Or reduced to disconnected bones, scattered in all directions—here a hand bone, there a foot bone, a shin bone, a thigh bone; the pelvis, spine and skull—He should apply this perception to his own body.
With Buddhism, Christianity shares a love of relics and an abhorrence of corporeality. This was what led Luther to famously refer to his own body as, 'this corpse, this sack of maggots'”
But is this a bad thing?
Charles Taylor says that a life properly lived affirms death and destruction. Indeed, Plato insisted in the Phaedo: "For is not philosophy the practice of death?"
I do truly believe that philosophy is and should be just that: a preparation for death. Death is not something that should be hidden away or brushed under the rug, says the accidental mortician. He says in a culture that focuses exclusively on youth, health and the living, we end up somehow less alive.
More here http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksda...
February 14, 2015
This one is well outside my traditional milieu, but well worth the time and patience to experience Aoki's unique worldview shaped by his work as a Buddhist mortician.
Any comments I add here about Buddhism, the Inconceivable Light, or Aoki's inferences or interpretations would fail to capture the serenity of his words, so I'll share two passages:
"If you go into your line of work thinking it inferior, as you perform your duties, it shows that you beat within yourself a feeling of inferiority. You try to make up for it by doing it for the money. ... As long as you go around thinking there is money to be made from this dirty line of business, whatever the job might be, people around you will always look down on you for it."
"For the endstage patient, encouragement is cruel, reassurance sheer misery, and sermons and talk useless. The only thing they want is a person with eyes like the clear blue sky and who is as transparent as the wind."
Any comments I add here about Buddhism, the Inconceivable Light, or Aoki's inferences or interpretations would fail to capture the serenity of his words, so I'll share two passages:
"If you go into your line of work thinking it inferior, as you perform your duties, it shows that you beat within yourself a feeling of inferiority. You try to make up for it by doing it for the money. ... As long as you go around thinking there is money to be made from this dirty line of business, whatever the job might be, people around you will always look down on you for it."
"For the endstage patient, encouragement is cruel, reassurance sheer misery, and sermons and talk useless. The only thing they want is a person with eyes like the clear blue sky and who is as transparent as the wind."
February 18, 2021
I had been wanting to read this book for years, and after having been denied a purchase by the local library, I finally gave in and bought a copy for myself. It seemingly involved many of my closest interests: Japan, Buddhism, and death practices. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The majority of this book is Buddhist philosophy in the tradition of Shinran / "Shin Buddhism," the most popular sect of Buddhism in Japan today. It didn't feel entirely accessible, even to one who has lived for years in Japan, AND taken university classes in Buddhist scripture, AND is nearly done with her degree in mortuary science. I was hoping for more of an account of his experiences and his work. I'm still not entirely sure what his job is, aside from putting the body of the deceased into a casket. Oh well.
October 11, 2023
An interesting memoir about being a Buddhist mortician that focuses on some aspects of Buddhism that I wasn't very familiar with. The writing (in translation) isn't fantastic and the whole thing isn't a very compelling cohesive narrative (for a better-told story, watch the film Departures which was inspired by this book) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Departu...
That said, I do really enjoy these low-production-value memoirs and appreciate the self-publishing / independent publishers that are doing the work of getting these to print.
That said, I do really enjoy these low-production-value memoirs and appreciate the self-publishing / independent publishers that are doing the work of getting these to print.
April 15, 2024
I typed up a good review with quotes and lost it so I’m not going to again. It’s a book on a modern “coffin man” and his work with the beautiful and radiant dead, traditionally viewed as defiles. Some knowledge of Shin Buddhism is necessary, though a good glossary is provided.
Some basic highlights are that he regards the dead as beautiful whereas others may view death as defiled or terrifying. Death is merely the other side of life, it is natural, and always close to us.
Modern medicine has taken away people’s right to die with dignity. They are so focused on prolonging life, and not on dying well. Dying was, for our ancestors, often a sacred experience from which life continues and the transience of life was to be contemplated. Now we only care about life and that fills the dying with fear and anguish.
One terminal patient kept being told by loved ones to keep trying and to hang in there, filling her with anguish and suffering. The doctor, sensing this anguish, in a private moment told the dying “I will be following you on your journey” to which the patient was filled with peace throughout the rest of their remaining days.
Why cannot we accept the beauty and grace of death? It without fail comes upon all as naturally as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Some basic highlights are that he regards the dead as beautiful whereas others may view death as defiled or terrifying. Death is merely the other side of life, it is natural, and always close to us.
Modern medicine has taken away people’s right to die with dignity. They are so focused on prolonging life, and not on dying well. Dying was, for our ancestors, often a sacred experience from which life continues and the transience of life was to be contemplated. Now we only care about life and that fills the dying with fear and anguish.
One terminal patient kept being told by loved ones to keep trying and to hang in there, filling her with anguish and suffering. The doctor, sensing this anguish, in a private moment told the dying “I will be following you on your journey” to which the patient was filled with peace throughout the rest of their remaining days.
Why cannot we accept the beauty and grace of death? It without fail comes upon all as naturally as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
February 20, 2018
Absolutely breathtaking. Written in a lyric, intimist and deeply poignant prose, it narrates the evolution in the view of the author since he starts working as a coffinman, first out of necessity with a bit of reluctance and then out of belief, dedication and love. It weaves together his experiences dealing with different bodies, families and situations with his reflections on mourning, human nature, religion, philosophy, art and ultimately life itself, questioning the way we face (avoid) death nowadays.
As someone who discovered shin buddhism along its journey, the author ponders about nature, life and death from the perspective of this doctrine, offering a glimpse of a beautiful world unknown to most western readers.
A must for those interested in antropothanatology.
As someone who discovered shin buddhism along its journey, the author ponders about nature, life and death from the perspective of this doctrine, offering a glimpse of a beautiful world unknown to most western readers.
A must for those interested in antropothanatology.
July 29, 2017
An intriguing account of thoughts from a Buddhist mortician...on Life....and Death....and the space, or the Light, in between.
Some thoughts may be lost in translation from Japanese to English, but "once you've got the gist of it, there's no need to read into every little thing, the workings...." of the Light.
Some thoughts may be lost in translation from Japanese to English, but "once you've got the gist of it, there's no need to read into every little thing, the workings...." of the Light.
December 5, 2017
一本很有深度的書，讓人眼前一亮。看過這本書之後就會發現作者對生死有著自己一套獨特見解。除了生和死的課題，作者還提起了關於佛教的種種。有些是溫習，有些是新增的知識。這本書無論在哪個人生階段看都會有所領悟。所以，再見。
December 6, 2019
Funny and heartbreaking at the time. You get the sense that the translation is worse than the original and that hangs over your head.
May 8, 2023
Hard to categorize this book but I really liked it—it had some lovely elements on how to reflect on death and dying.
July 26, 2024
4.5 ⭐️ for the first half, 2 ⭐️ for the second half
December 11, 2015
For the most part, enlightening. COFFINMAN is less a daily journal, reflecting on death, and more a series of seasonal treatises, observing Shinmon Aoki's life and profession as a journal unto death itself.
Aoki's personal encounters with the dead, dying, and mourning conjure an array of profound imagery and critical thinking surrounding the modern functions of religion/mythology, the human conflict of beginning and end, and the role of contemporary Buddhist comprehension. The discourse of COFFINMAN crosses paths of religious texts, transcendental poetry, and even everyday fiction, and all in the name of (trying to) understand how and why people are so anxious about death.
This journal repurposed as book does not consistently dwell on any of the beforementioned subjects to the point where I was truly satisfied. Like any other journal, most entries are but a taste of what's going on inside the author's head. It's transitory. And as such, many of Aoki's finest writings are interrupted by the reality that there are, quite simply, other things to talk about.
Is life merely an intrusion upon the continuum of death? Are modern human cultures fixated on prolonging life at great karmic expense? Why do superstitions and mythologies insist on carving a life capable of rendering "the beautiful death"?
COFFINMAN props up countless questions like these but resolves very few of them. The conversation drifts from a dramatic tale of Aoki's crumbling marriage, to his being ostracized by family, to his expectations of life after death, upon witnessing reflections of the Inconceivable Light in others, and the result is a sometimes-fascinating and sometimes-boring metaphysical stream of consciousness. Some passages make you scratch your chin in thought, others will have you weeping, and yet others will leave you sighing and indifferent.
Aoki's personal encounters with the dead, dying, and mourning conjure an array of profound imagery and critical thinking surrounding the modern functions of religion/mythology, the human conflict of beginning and end, and the role of contemporary Buddhist comprehension. The discourse of COFFINMAN crosses paths of religious texts, transcendental poetry, and even everyday fiction, and all in the name of (trying to) understand how and why people are so anxious about death.
This journal repurposed as book does not consistently dwell on any of the beforementioned subjects to the point where I was truly satisfied. Like any other journal, most entries are but a taste of what's going on inside the author's head. It's transitory. And as such, many of Aoki's finest writings are interrupted by the reality that there are, quite simply, other things to talk about.
Is life merely an intrusion upon the continuum of death? Are modern human cultures fixated on prolonging life at great karmic expense? Why do superstitions and mythologies insist on carving a life capable of rendering "the beautiful death"?
COFFINMAN props up countless questions like these but resolves very few of them. The conversation drifts from a dramatic tale of Aoki's crumbling marriage, to his being ostracized by family, to his expectations of life after death, upon witnessing reflections of the Inconceivable Light in others, and the result is a sometimes-fascinating and sometimes-boring metaphysical stream of consciousness. Some passages make you scratch your chin in thought, others will have you weeping, and yet others will leave you sighing and indifferent.
Want to read
October 13, 2021已記錄
November 5, 2016
This is a beautiful, emotional book that helped me look at life, death, and my connections to other people in a new way. The book is composed of non-linear episodes during Shinmon Aoki's career as an encoffiner in northern Japan which lead him to develop new perspectives and a profound appreciation for life and death. In addition to presenting the episodes themselves, the author also spends a lot of time discussing how his experiences and ideas are similar to those found in several Japanese poems, the writings of Shinran Shonin (the founder of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism), and the teachings of the historical Buddha. Departures, a beautiful Japanese film that won the Academy Award for best foreign language film, was inspired by this memoir.
April 24, 2009
＊死をタブー視する社会通念を云々していながら、自分自身その社会通念の延長線上にいることに気づいていなかった。社会通念を変えたければ、自分の心を変えればいいのだ。心が変われば、行動が変わる。
＊北アメリカ原産のセイタカアワダチソウは日本中の空き地に根を下ろして、在来植物を駆逐しそうだ。しかし、この植物は繁殖すると自分が出す分泌物で自家中毒を起こして自滅してしまう、ひとつところには長く定住できないかわいそうな植物なのだ。
＊正岡子規が「病状六尺」で、『悟りということはいかなる場合にも平気で死ぬことかと思っていたのはまちがいで、それは、いかなる場合にも平気で生きていることであった』と言ったのが、実感としてわかるようになった。一瞬一瞬を大切に生きていこうと思った。
去年の秋に「おくりびと」を観た。主演の本木雅弘が１５年も構想を温めていた映画。その原作がこの本だ。時間はかかったが、かけただけのことはあった、と思えた。
＊北アメリカ原産のセイタカアワダチソウは日本中の空き地に根を下ろして、在来植物を駆逐しそうだ。しかし、この植物は繁殖すると自分が出す分泌物で自家中毒を起こして自滅してしまう、ひとつところには長く定住できないかわいそうな植物なのだ。
＊正岡子規が「病状六尺」で、『悟りということはいかなる場合にも平気で死ぬことかと思っていたのはまちがいで、それは、いかなる場合にも平気で生きていることであった』と言ったのが、実感としてわかるようになった。一瞬一瞬を大切に生きていこうと思った。
去年の秋に「おくりびと」を観た。主演の本木雅弘が１５年も構想を温めていた映画。その原作がこの本だ。時間はかかったが、かけただけのことはあった、と思えた。
October 23, 2014
Starts off as a very unusual book written from the standpoint of a mortician, but with a Zen flavor. It is absolutely worth a read, probably a re-read as well. By the end of the book, it becomes much more of an exploration of our attitudes to death. A section towards the end that discusses poets and poetry, is the only part o the book that I struggled with, as it doesn't feel right - the rest of the book is engaging and informative.
July 9, 2018
4* for the first half and 3* for the second half.
The first half was really interesting. Aoki told personal stories from his professional experience, with a little bit of philosophical input here and there. While the second half had its moments, it was pretty dry as it was all Buddhist philosophy. Overall, Aoki's story is fascinating if you have prior knowledge of Japanese religion.
The first half was really interesting. Aoki told personal stories from his professional experience, with a little bit of philosophical input here and there. While the second half had its moments, it was pretty dry as it was all Buddhist philosophy. Overall, Aoki's story is fascinating if you have prior knowledge of Japanese religion.
January 7, 2016
This really is a pretty fantastic book up until the last section when the author gets pretty deep into philosophy and Buddhist religion...then it gets harder to follow and a little less interesting. The first half of the book though is worth the price of the whole thing.
July 3, 2015
I picked the middle rating because I am uncertain about the translation. I am wondering if the translator captured the author's mood and Japanese culture subtleties. The story felt very indifferent and unemotional. It didn't make me think, so it was an easy book to put down.
August 4, 2016
Beautiful, informative, and unexpectedly uplifting. Having attended a Hindu funeral recently, I was surprised (though in retrospect it makes sense) to learn about the numerous similarities between the rituals, customs, and general views on death in Hinduism and Shin Buddhism.
December 22, 2008
Not a light read, for sure, but very engaging. It's about a mortician, examining life and after life. Some of the ideas are very original and really resonate.
July 3, 2011
A simply written, unique and powerful memoir. I loved the personal narration but I got a bit lost in the philosophizing at the end--for my taste it could have been cut down by 30%.
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July 10, 2012H
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews