Discussion 5: Less frightening if we all care for each other at the end of life?
Thinking about a “caring” death in our living spheres

Japan’s declining birthrate and aging society has been a national problem for some time now, and the country is on its way to becoming a “society of mass death.”In 2030, deaths in Japan will number 1.6 million and reach their peak of increase, which is around 1.5 times more than in 2006(*).The shortage of crematoriums, morgues and cemeteries in the metropolitan area is already pronounced. In modern times, facilities, memorials and monuments related to death are kept away from daily life in urban living areas. Moreover, scientific advances such as iPS cell technology have expanded and diversified our concepts of life and death.

Based on these circumstances, how should we face up to and prepare for the approaching “society of mass death”? Yohsuke Takahashi is the curator responsible for “Death LAB: Democratizing Death” at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art at Kanazawa. Playwright Shirotama Hitsujiya has developed the art project “Tokyo, Soup, Blanket and Travelogue”looking at end-of-life care in the Ekoda area of Tokyo.In response to the situation as an urban planning problem and question of emotional care for future bereavement, together with our two guests we explore the possibilities for art projects to be held alongside us in our living spheres.

*Cabinet Office white paper Annual Report on the Aging Society:2018