1 in 4 in 20s in Japan making preparations for death

It seems there is a growing trend to think about death as something that involves oneself, Tear said.

The online survey was conducted in late January with responses from 1,500 people in their 20s to their 70s across the country.

Overall, 24.6 pct of respondents said they are making preparations for their death.

That answer was given by 48 pct of people in their 70s, followed by 26.8 pct of those in their 20s.

The figure for people in their 20s was 1.6 percentage points higher than that for those in their 60s.

Asked what specific preparations they are making, with multiple answers allowed, the most frequent reply was "putting my affairs in order," given by 8.5 pct.

"Talking about death with my family" was cited by 8.3 pct and "writing an end-of-life message" was given by 6.2 pct.

Among respondents in their 20s, making a will, having a portrait photograph taken and writing messages for their loved ones were all mentioned by 7.2 pct, a higher percentage than all other age brackets.

"Interest in preparing for one's own death is getting stronger in young generations as well, probably because of their experiences attending relatives' funerals," a Tear official said.