"Bonsai graves" as ultra-small graves

Abstract

To provide an ultra-compact grave that does not require a graveyard and is extremely easy to visit, hold religious services, move and inherit. [Solution] Ultra-compact graves are a revolutionary way to reduce the size of graves. In the "bonsai grave" model of a five-ringed pagoda shown as an example, the height of the five-ringed pagoda 1 and base 2 is approximately 2-5cm, the hollow storage section 3 can hold a capsule 4 for storing remains, etc., and protrusions 6 attached to the bottom lid 5 serve as foundation stakes and are fixed to the potting soil. By removing the detachable protrusions 6 from the bottom lid 5, the bonsai grave can be placed on a hard, flat surface. This new form of grave, the "bonsai grave," can be commercialized as an inexpensive grave.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a miniature grave that can be placed in a bonsai pot or bonsai tree. [Background technology]

[0002] After the war, the rapid migration of population to cities has left many urban residents far from their ancestral gravesites, and the extended family system has collapsed in favor of nuclear families. In addition, the aging of society as a whole has led to a shortage of cemeteries in cities, and in depopulated areas, there are increasing cases of no one effectively inheriting the tombs. As the baby boomer generation enters their late elderly years, the aging of urban areas is accelerating, and with the globalization of the economy, population mobility is not limited to domestic areas, but is becoming more international. This shortage of cemeteries in cities and the difficulty of inheriting tombs in depopulated areas are expected to worsen. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6518855 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-144897 [Patent Document 3] Utility Model Registration No. 3241964 [Patent Document 4] Utility Model Registration No. 3245835 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem of a lack of cemeteries in cities and the difficulty of inheriting graves in depopulated areas is ultimately due to the fact that securing cemeteries in cities and relocating and reinterring graves remaining in rural areas is too costly both financially and in terms of effort. This proposal aims to solve this problem by minimizing the size of graves.

[0005] Patent Document 1 relates to a tabletop gravestone that is designed to be placed in the living room of one's home and is resistant to earthquakes, but it has a space to accommodate an urn, which requires a considerable amount of space. This invention will be difficult to popularize among urban dwellers who do not have a Buddhist altar and are forced to live in homes with limited space. Patent Document 2 describes an indoor grave that is installed in the home and has a chamber that can accommodate multiple urns to accommodate grave closings, but it still has the same issues as Patent Document 1.

[0006] Patent Document 3 is a device for placing an idol with a structure capable of storing the remains of the deceased nearby as an object of worship, etc. Patent Document 4 is a "bone tablet grave" with a base that allows some of the remains to be stored in it, and these are arranged in a stepped pattern within a temple to serve as a small indoor cemetery. This small grave can be moved, and in that case it can also be placed at home, as in Patent Document 3, and there may be some demand for it, but neither is expected to become widespread as a replacement for current graves.

[0007] In addition to Patent Documents 1 to 4, numerous other inventions and ideas have been made, but unfortunately, none of them currently provide effective solutions to issues such as a shortage of cemeteries, grave visits, religious services, and grave inheritance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This invention is a revolutionary new type of grave that can be installed even without a cemetery thanks to its reduced size, making grave visits, rituals, transportation, and inheritance extremely easy: a miniature grave placed in a bonsai pot or bonsai tree with a structure that can hold a portion of the remains or ashes. Bonsai graves can also be placed in pots of ornamental plants or roses, making them suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

[0009] Bonsai graves come in a variety of shapes, including, but not limited to, Japanese-style gravestones such as square stone towers, pagodas, five-ringed stupas, Western-style gravestones, stone Buddha-style gravestones, and those made from natural stones. All of these have a hollow storage compartment with a lid at the bottom that comes into contact with the soil in the pot, and contain a capsule containing a small amount of bones or ashes.

[0010] The size is 1 / 20 to 1 / 100 of a normal gravestone, about 2 to 5 cm in height, which makes it possible to significantly reduce production and distribution costs.

[0011] All materials, including the capsules used to store remains, will return to the earth, such as natural stone, metal, ceramics, and bioplastics.

[0012] The bottom cover of the storage area has a protrusion that acts as a foundation stake for fixing it to potting soil, etc. This protrusion can be detached from the bottom cover, and by removing it, the bonsai grave can be placed on a flat, hard surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] Bonsai graves, usually 2-5cm in size, are easy to carry and can be placed nearby without getting in the way. Even small amounts of the deceased's remains or ashes are treasured and stored like Buddhist relics, and even though they are tiny, they have the familiar shape of a gravestone. Modern people, accustomed to figurines, naturally recognize them as the grave of the deceased. Eventually, they will become popular not only as graves for bones but also as main graves, helping to resolve issues such as a shortage of cemeteries.

[0013] Furthermore, by having them in the home, the number of people who do not need memorial tablets or Buddhist altars themselves will increase, which will in turn have the effect of alleviating the shortage of living space. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is an elevation view of a stupa model bonsai grave, an embodiment of the present invention. The stupa is a type of memorial tower that has been passed down since the Heian period, and is a tower-style gravestone with five rings on a base: sky ring, wind ring, fire ring, water ring, and earth ring. [Figure 2] This is a cross-section of this stupa model. The water ring, ground ring and base are hollow, and can store multiple capsules to hold remains, etc. There is a bottom lid on the bottom. [Figure 3] The bottom cover at the bottom of the storage section has a protrusion that acts as a foundation stake to secure it to the potting soil, and this protrusion is removable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] This bonsai grave features the deceased's Buddhist name and age at death inscribed in minute characters. A small portion of the ashes is placed in a capsule and placed in a storage compartment. The resulting miniature grave can be placed in a garden, balcony, or even indoors, allowing for rites. While this bonsai grave is likely to be well-received in the market as a divided burial site, it can also serve as a main grave for families without a cemetery. It's also ideal as a main grave for families who wish to keep their remains close by after the funeral, or as a separate grave for multiple family members. Separate burials can be provided to accommodate the individual needs of multiple family members. While a joint family grave is possible, separate graves for each deceased are economical, including space, and the graves can be easily renewed or replaced. Furthermore, when there are monthly visits to the family temple or memorial services, remote events such as online sutra readings can be held using a camera, a monitor with a magnified screen, and the web. [Example]

[0016] An example of this bonsai / bonsai tomb, shown in the accompanying drawings, is described below. The size of the stupa model bonsai / bonsai tomb, including the stupa 1 and base 2, is approximately 2-5 cm, allowing for space-saving installation. The storage section 3 can hold multiple capsules 4 containing cremated remains or ashes, and the bottom lid 5 at the bottom of the storage section 3 has protrusions 6 that act as foundation stakes to secure the tomb body by being thrust into the potting soil. These protrusions 6 can be detached from the bottom lid 5, allowing the bonsai / bonsai tomb to be placed on a stone or shelf. Furthermore, the stupa 1, base 2, bottom lid 5 of the storage section 3, and capsules 4 for storing cremated remains or ashes are all made of biodegradable materials, such as bioplastics and metals, allowing the cremated remains or ashes to be returned to the soil. Over a long period of time, the entire bonsai / bonsai tomb can be returned to the soil. [Explanation of symbols]

[0017] 1. Five-ringed tower 2 units 3. Storage Section 4 capsules 5 Bottom lid 6 protrusions [Industrial Applicability]

[0018] As most products are around 2-5cm in size, production, storage, and distribution are all easy and can be done with small-scale facilities, keeping costs down. As a result, "bonsai graves" can be offered at prices far cheaper than traditional gravestones, and it is expected that an entirely new market will be created.

[0019] This revolutionary reduction in the size and mobility of graves will free them from the cemetery, bringing about a change in attitudes towards graves and rituals, and in the culture itself. This will lead to an increase in the number of people involved in graves and rituals on a daily basis, which has been steadily declining, and there is great hope that this will lead to an expansion of the market and the creation of new peripheral markets that target these people as customers.

Claims

1. This ultra-small grave is 1 / 100 to 1 / 20 the scale of a regular gravestone and is designed to be placed exclusively in a bonsai pot or bonsai tree, etc., and has a structure that includes a capsule for storing a very small amount of remains or ashes, such as a Buddhist relic, a hollow storage section for storing the capsule, and a bottom lid with a protrusion attached to the bottom that can serve as a foundation stake that can be fixed to the potting soil, etc.

2. The protrusion attached to the bottom cover according to claim 1 is made detachable from the bottom cover.

3. The micro-tomb described in claim 1 is made entirely from materials that will return to the earth, including the capsule for storing remains and the bottom lid, such as natural stone, metal, ceramics, and bioplastics.

Images