Death appears as a kind of discontinuation of human relationships.
"Strangers' death" in a common sence among these relationships is
essentially indifferent for myself, but death in my family circle
is regarded as "others' death for myself".
This "others' death" normally begins with the nursing of our dying
near-relatives, passes to the confirmation of death, and is completed
with various funeral ceremonies for our understanding of death.
Therefore, in this case, Death has to be considered as the object
of nursing at first, and secondly as the object of confirmation
and understanding.
In Japan nursing is now usually done in the public facilities of
hospitals, where the treatment of the dying person has serious
meanings.
Here we ask the question,"What does it mean for us to die in a
hospital?"
Our process of confirmation and understanding of "others' death"
has produced a variety of the folkways in funeral ceremonies.
These folkways actually have many differences, acording not only
to the tribes to which the deceased and their families belong, but
also according to the religions that they believe in. Here we are
going to mention the existential meanings of funeral ceremonies,
showing examples in Christianity, Hinduhism and Buddism which are
well known to the people all over the world.

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