Demand For Cremation Of Pets In Japan Increases, There Are Salamanders To Belut

Pet illustration in Japan. (Wikimedia Commons/Syced)

JAKARTA - Companies in Japan have found technology that can handle the cremation of smallest animals such as ornamental fish, with pet owners there often wanting their pets cremated at death so that their ashes can be stored as mementos.

Progress Co, Osaka-based company, has developed a way to adjust the intensity of the fire and the power of the bursts of air exhaled to leave the ashes in the best condition, with some bones remaining.

In Japan, cremation ceremonies for humans often involve collecting the remaining pieces of bones to be stored with their ashes.

On the other hand, there is a request that the same habit can also be done for pet cremation.

Pet owners need to ask local governments or special companies to cremate their animals because the law prohibits them from burning their own animals after they die.

Overall, there are about 2,000 companies engaged in the pet funeral business, making it a very competitive market, according to research firm Fuji Keichai Co.

Progress, which also offers sorting services for people's goods after they die, started its pet cremation business in 2020 and now receives about 2,000 requests each month, serving a variety of pets including rare species such as spotted gardenferrobes and axolotl (water dragon salamanders).

"My pet animals are very small, but they handle them very carefully and I am very grateful," said Naomi Uchikawa, a woman (45) who uses this service for her chameleon, quoted from Kyodo News October 18.

Meanwhile, Yoko Moriyama, director of Progress representatives, said, "Pet cremacy is an opportunity to recognize the value of life. We aim to provide an environment where any pet can receive a proper separation."