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Sarah Stevenson
Professor Julie Hicks
HONR 3702
13 April 2015

Departures (2008), directed by Yjir Takita, is a Japanese drama film

that focuses on the struggles and journey of a man who performs
encoffinment rituals for families of the deceased. After the orchestra
disbanded, Daigo comes to the realization that his career as a cellist has
come to an end and returns to his hometown. It is there that Daigo responds
to an ad in the paper offering a job in departures. He responds believing it is
a job with the airlines. However, on his first day, he comes to the realization
it is nothing like he expected. Not only does Daigo begin a career as an
encoffinist he also begins journey of self-realization and acceptance despite
the discouragement from his wife and the negative stigma that surrounds
working with the dead. Departures has a strong emphasis on a practice
called encoffinment which allows a family to prepare their loved one's body
for burial and find closure. Finally, this film has strong themes of life and
death. It celebrates life and honors those who have gone.
Encoffination is the preparing of the deceased for cremation or burial.
The ceremonial aspect of encoffiniation is known as Nokanshi in Japan. The
ceremony usually begins with the cleansing of the body with a cloth. The
body is then clothed and there is time for family and friends to say their final

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goodbyes. The tradition of Nokanshi has been around for a while in Japan.
However, Departures has actually revived it. Because of the film, it is
practiced now more than ever. (Ono) However, another perspective offered is
that Nokanshi is a lost art that some funeral directors dont acknowledge the
existence of. (Fujimura) Despite the different perspectives, the ceremony
means different things to different people and a practice doesnt have to be
an ancient tradition to be considered beautiful. I personally think
encoffiniation is a beautiful thing. It seems to be a very intimate ordeal. What
I found the most interesting is the diversity of the ceremonies. No
encoffiniation was the same. Everyone had the opportunity to make it
personal to them. When I watched Departures, I was reflecting on the life
and death of my grandparents- the only people in my life that I have lost. At
my grandfather's viewing, a young boy who always talked him when he was
walking his dog asked if he could put his favorite guitar pick in the coffin with
him. My dad told him he could. It is a sweet memory from the funeral.
Encoffiniation gives the family a chance to mourn over and reflect upon the
life of their loved one. The cleansing of the body with a cloth represents the
wiping away of worries, fears, and troubles of this life. The ceremony also
enables those left by the departed to find peace. Will American society as a
whole accept and embrace the Japanese tradition of encoffiniation? I don't
know. I would personally like to see the ritual practiced more in the United
States of American, but change is often feared and can be a slow process.

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However, that doesn't stop individuals from holding their own personal
ceremonies to honor the deceased.
The director of Departures, Yjir Takita, says the film is about death,
honoring those who have gone before us, celebrating the value of life, and
examining how we live. Each of these aspects are certainly seen in the film
from start to finish. The death in Departures is not physical, but emotional
and metaphorical as well. When Daigo heard that his orchestra was
disbanding, his hope at becoming a professional musician had died. Mika
screams in the kitchen because she sees that the squid in the kitchen was
actually alive. She and Daigo brought to the squid to the water and threw it
back. As soon as it was in the water, the squid died. This scene is
metaphorical for the death to come and Daigo's future work. Then there is
the physical death of the human body that results in encoffiniation and
burial. Honoring those who came before is seen in the encoffiniation ritual.
This ceremony gives families and friends a chance to honor, celebrate, and
reflect upon the life that once was. Daigo celebrates the value of life by
choosing a career that is meaningful to him even though he was frowned
upon by his wife who made him choose between his job and a relationship
with her, neighbors who told him that he needed to find a real job, and most
of society. However, some people, like the son of the bathhouse owner don't
appreciate the value of life until it is too late. His mother worked hard to keep
the business she loved up and running. One day, she has a heart attack that
results in her death. The son always gave her a hard time about the

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bathhouse. It is at the encoffiniation that he comes face to face with his

regret of not appreciating life. It is situations like these that cause us to
examine our own lives and make decisions to live with no regrets.
I really enjoyed the film Departures. It has been one of my favorites
this semester. The music throughout is beautiful and it adds nicely to the
picture. The title Departures not only encompasses physical death, but in my
opinion it can refer to hopes dying, moving from one place to another,
parents abandoning their children, and leaving an old job for a new one- all
things seen in the film. There are so many different meanings to the title. I
like this film because it reminds us to appreciate this life because we only
have one to live. It puts forth the message that each and every one of us are
on a journey and we should do things that are meaningful to us even though
other people may not share the same views. One of the things I found
shocking though was the idea of a public bath house. Its something I knew
existed, but I was quite amazed at how many people bathed freely in a
public setting like that. I would imagine it to be quite unsanitary and
awkward. I can understand why Daigo went though. The bathhouse is
significant because it was the only place Daigo went to grieve his father
walking away from him. In every other setting he was strong, but the
bathhouse was where he went when he couldnt be strong anymore. I believe
Departures is well-deserving of the Oscar for best foreign language film and
the numerous other awards nominated for and won. Overall, it is a beautiful
film.

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It is amazing how one decision can change your life forever. When Daigo
answered the advertisement in the newspaper that happened to be a
misprint, his life changes drastically and he begins a journey of selfdiscovery. At first, he is repulsed by his job as an encoffiner. He is ashamed
and keeps it hidden from his wife. Various sites stated that in Japanese
culture, Daigos profession has just as much prestige as being a gravediggerone of the worst jobs one could have. A Japanese woman says, It is kind of a
profession that is hidden and not spotlighted. (Nobel) Even though it is
considered to be a cultural taboo to be around and work with the deceased,
Daigo comes to appreciate his role in the process of encoffination. He finds
purpose and beauty in his new job. Overall, Departures is a powerful film
about life and death that reminds us to honor those before us and appreciate
the life that we have.

Works Cited
http://www.curatormagazine.com/makotofujimura/departures-the-art-oftransformation/

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https://blogs.funeralwise.com/dying/2009/06/05/in-japan-everything-is-abeautiful-corpse/
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125195956247382445