As population grays, Tokyo mulls more crematoria to meet demand
According to projections by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, demand for cremations will begin to outstrip existing normal capacities in the next decade. | GETTY IMAGES
Oct 15, 2026
Tokyo is looking into constructing several small public crematoria, as concerns have emerged over meeting demand for cremations in an aging population, along with the increasing price of the procedure. In Japan, 99.97% of people are cremated.
On Wednesday, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s exploratory committee on crematoria, made up mostly of Tokyo ward and city mayors, discussed the matter with the aim of compiling a report by the end of next March.
“The demand for cremations will absolutely increase due to a high mortality rate that comes from having an aging population,” the committee reported. “All local governments must explore concrete ways to meet this greater crematorium demand.”
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