Love Motel Converted To Funeral Home In Japan Amid Population Crisis: "Metaphor Of Decline"

A love motel in Japan has been converted into a funeral home, sparking conversations about the declining birth rate and ageing population in the Asian country. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, the love motel, situated in Saitama prefecture in eastern Japan, became a funeral parlour in February.

While the building earlier sported a bright, purple, exterior paint coat to reflect the extravagant nature of the business, the new establishment sports a solemn white look that comes with death.

The love motels emerged in the late 1960s in Japan and prospered during the country's economic peak, known as the "bubble" era of the 1980s. During Japan's second baby boom, which witnessed annual births that exceeded two million between 1971 and 1974, love motels experienced their best business days.

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Social media reacts

As the post went viral, reactions poured in from social media users who described the building as a metaphor for Japan's demographic crisis.

"Metaphor of a declining birthrate and ageing population," said one user while another added: "I imagine some people begin and end their lives at the same place."

A third commented: "Is there a future for a country where funeral homes are in greater demand than love hotels?"

リニューアル前の姿がストビューに映ってた。少子高齢化を感じる。 https://t.co/60eicFmo9G pic.twitter.com/7svDjrCKrx

— どエンド君 (@mikumo_hk) February 17, 2025

Japan's ageing population

As per government data, the number of people in Japan aged 65 or older hit a record high of 36.25 million in 2024, making it one of the world's fastest-ageing societies. The elderly now account for 29.3 per cent of Japan's total population, also a new high.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications added that the proportion of elderly residents put Japan at the top of the list of 200 countries and regions with a population of over 100,000.

Meanwhile, the number of babies born in the country fell to a record low of 7,20,988 in 2024 for a ninth consecutive year of decline. Births were down five per cent on the year while a record number of 1.62 million deaths meant that more than two people died for every new baby born.

Although the fertility rate in neighbouring South Korea rose in 2024 for the first time in nine years, the trend in Japan is yet to show an upturn.