June 17, 2017.  This is the Minoh Pet Cemetery.  It is on the same road as the kids’ school, just a block away.  I ride the bike past it all the time, but recently I stopped to take some photos.  I’ve never been inside of a pet cemetery in the US before, but from the outside American pet cemeteries don’t look as elaborate.  Maybe it’s just because this is such a compact space.  I suppose it’s the same though, since people worldwide love their pets as their children.

The website for this pet cemetery is very soothing (at least the English translation is).  There are very explicit directions on how to position the animal (when you bring it in) so that it looks like it is sleeping.  It also says to “bring your child wrapped in a blanket or towel” and also to bring a favorite toy, snack and flower, “so as not to be lonely.”  At every point the site refers to the pet as a child.  Japanese people do love their pets.

They also burn incense in the cemetery so that “the souls of children who climbed to heaven return to candles fire and incense sticks.”  And you can arrange to have a monk come and offer prayers and sympathy.  The website says, “We arrange for sorry by monk at your request.”

Maybe our cats would have a nice 10 lives and more here.

The Japanese characters below say “arigatou” which means “thank you.”