Age: 53

Date of Performance: 02/25/25

Language: English, Japanese

Nationality: Japanese

Occupation: Immigration Lawyer

Primary Language: Japanese

Residence: Tokyo, Japan

“Okay, thanks, Mom, for doing this.”

“Of course! Haha, I might have to think a bit first, though.”

“Take your time. So do you have any experience with these kinds of minor genres of folklore? Right here.”

“Yes, um, so when I was very young, maybe during grade school? We used to have a shrine, or altar? Called a 仏壇 (Butsudan) which was for my grandmother with a lot of things like 位牌 (ihai), which is like a wooden engraving of her name, 仏像 (butsuzo) which is basically a Buddha statue, and rice, and flowers, things you would honor the dead with. And so we’d typically say ‘人は死して名を残す (Hito wa shishite na o nokosu),’ which translates to ‘A person leaves behind their name.’ And… yeah.”

“Okay, and is this saying something you reflect on often, or have reflected on often? Does it still carry the same weight as maybe it once did?”

“Yes, I’d say so. I don’t think about death often, not because I push it away, but I have always acknowledged it. I am not sure if I am making sense, but I am not sure when the last time I have been scared of dying was.”

“No, you make perfect sense. Thank you.”

Context:

My mother came across this saying when she was very young, and her seeing a continual reminder of her deceased grandmother was a formative experience in how she conducts her life. The tradition of keeping a Butsudan shrine is commonly found in many Japanese homes, and it serves as a way to ritually honor the dead. The ihai has pretty much a direct tie to the proverb, as the only thing left of her deceased grandmother is her name, the memory of her name, on the shrine.

Analysis:

Based on my interpretation, it seems that her and her family, instead of shunning away from something as eery and dreadful as the idea of death, embrace it as a natural part of life. Everyone internally understands that death is an inevitability, but to keep a shrine dedicated to one who has passed is almost a symbolic gesture in acknowledging, even welcoming it into their home. It reframes death as not some tall, daunting, and inevitable experience, but a completely natural and almost mundane part of life. The proverb is a direct reflection of this attitude, that all you leave behind is your name. It is to embrace death and nothingness, while leaving behind you and your memory.