Memento Mori, Early

Is it because of my age, or the nature of Sapporo that death and old age feel so close?

One example is the frequent and heavy advertising of grave sites, temples with columbariums, budget funerals, and home Buddhist altars, both on TV and in newspaper inserts.

Even when there are no supermarket flyers, these types of ads are always present.

Meanwhile, the presence of health foods and athletic clubs feels weaker. They do exist, but sometimes right next to a funeral home. I even found a sacred ritual burning operator on the ground floor of a condominium along a busy city road.

When I read this book by a Sapporo-based author,

(Roughly translated by me) How do you do with grave?

I didn't understand why she made such a big fuss—so big that she wrote an entire book (priced at 1,650 yen) about her late father's grave and altar. Why didn't she just choose whatever was readily available? Only after I moved here did I realize she acted that way because she had been exposed to a flood of this kind of information for a long time. 

Sapporo is aging, but actually, a bit slower than national average (as of 2023, 28.5% vs. 29.3%) . And I don't think these old people will die all at once tomorrow. However, with all these death-related ads around, I, as a brand-new senior, can't help feeling like Sapporo is gently pushing me toward the exit—preferably before I start needing nursing care.

Reference:

統計トピックスNo.146　統計からみた我が国の高齢者－「敬老の日」にちなんで－

札幌市高齢者保健福祉計画2024 第3章