Concern of the inhabitan on funeral practice in isolated island with creamatoriumu, Okinawa prefectur

Questionnaire study on the concern of 245 inhabitants regarding funeral practices and sur vey on the situation of old people's hospitalization in the isolated islands of Zamami village with out crematorium were carried out in 2000. The relationship of funerary practice and care of old people are discussed. 1. Traditionally the funeral practice involves burial of the dead followed by exhumatio: after several years whence the bones are cleaned by their relatives. All people died in the is lands have been practiced in the islands from 1990 to 1999. 2. Concern of the respondents for the funeral practice is influenced by experience of bone cleansing. Most of the respondents over 50 years old who have experienced bone-cleansing, sup port cremation. About 40% of the respondents below 50 years old who have little experience, support free of the funeral practice. About 90% of inhabitants choose to have cremation after their death. 3. Among the patients over 65 years old from islands without crematorium who were hos pitalized in 4 hospitals in mainland Okinawa, those over 90 years hospitalized for terminal care constituted the high number, accounting for 23.1% from Zamami. The non existence of the crematorium facility and concern of the inhabitants seem to exert considerable influence on the lives of old people in isolated small islands.