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The main benefit of scattering ashes at sea is its cost-free operation. It's generally said that building a grave costs around 2 million yen. A funeral is also said to cost about the same, so initial costs are substantial. In contrast, scattering ashes at sea is said to cost about one-tenth of that.

The cost of scattering ashes at sea varies considerably depending on the size of the boat chartered and the number of people traveling. In other words, the cost varies depending on the number of people and the size of the boat. Hiring a scattering service to scatter the ashes on your behalf costs around 50,000 yen, but chartering a boat for just one family can cost between 200,000 and 500,000 yen. Traveling with a large group to the scattering site requires additional travel expenses. It's important to consider that the cost of scattering ashes alone is not enough.

One disadvantage of scattering ashes at sea is that, since there is no grave, you cannot visit the grave. For those who regularly visit graves on the anniversary of a death or during Obon as part of their annual ritual, visiting the grave as a way to remember the deceased is important, but this means that they will no longer be able to do so in the future. While it's said that there's "no need to maintain the grave," scattering ashes at sea means there will be no place to visit. It's a matter of scale, so if you think of the entire ocean as the grave of the deceased, it's not a problem at all.

Ashes scattered at sea will eventually return to nature, but plankton will live in the fine powder-like ashes. From spring to autumn, as the daylight hours get longer and temperatures rise, phytoplankton in the seawater and the zooplankton that prey on them proliferate. Abnormal plankton proliferation clouds the seawater, causing red tides, which can then be consumed by fish, which can then end up on display at fishmongers' stalls.

According to the Sankei Shimbun, in recent years, scattered areas of Sagami Bay off the coast of Chigasaki, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, have been spotted turning red. The Shonan Coast Guard Station has analyzed the phenomenon as a possible red tide, caused by an increase in plankton due to rising sea temperatures. Red tides occur when nutrients in seawater exceed natural levels. There have been no reports of damage to fishing industries. While scattering ashes is legally acceptable, municipalities may enact ordinances banning the practice due to issues with residents caused by poor manners by those scattering ashes.

★Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Health and Medical Care: Points to note regarding scattering of ashes
https://www.hokeniryo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/kankyo/eisei/bochitou/ryuuijikou.html

★Sankei Photo: Red tide in Sagami Bay? Off the coast of Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
https://www.sankei.com/photo/story/news/170505/sty1705050014-n1.html

★Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Why do red tides occur?
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/heya/kodomo_sodan/0207/09.html

For inquiries or questions about natural burial scattering at Scattered Bone Mountain, please contact us by phone, email, or visit us for a free in-person consultation. We will provide detailed explanations about scattering ashes, which is still uncommon. We welcome any questions or concerns you may have until you are satisfied. Please feel free to discuss any details, such as closing the grave or making pre-planning reservations. If you feel you can avoid the hassle of visiting our office, please feel free to ask us questions via email. If you are in a hurry, please submit your scattering request directly. The data you submit through the application form will not be used for any other purpose, so please feel free to provide your information. Please note that submitting the application form is a provisional request; your formal request will be finalized once payment has been confirmed. We will also ask for the name of the deceased, so please submit your request using the dedicated scattering request email form.