Funeral Videos Surpass 600 Million Views on Social Media: The Story Behind Documenting Farewell

Musubisu Co., Ltd. (HQ: Edogawa-ku, Tokyo; President: Takayuki Nakagawa), a specialist funeral company handling over 2,500 services annually in the Tokyo metropolitan area, distributes short videos titled 'Hitomonogatari,' filmed at funeral sites, on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Under the theme of 'A one-minute story of family love seen through a funeral,' this series records the reality of a once-in-a-lifetime farewell, including the feelings and expressions of the bereaved families. Since the launch in 2023, it has surpassed 600 million total views.

Amidst recent calls for 'funeral simplification' and 'departure from funerals,' these videos—unthinkable in traditional Japanese customs—along with messages of condolence and support from social media viewers, are creating gentle exchanges of the heart.

With the spread of the internet, people can now access all information about funerals, such as explanations of formats and cost breakdowns, via smartphones. However, there are almost no examples of actual funeral footage other than those from Musubisu. While companies offer paid filming services, the high hurdle of obtaining family consent makes social media publication rare.

Musubisu's videos are filmed by field staff specifically for social media distribution with the families' consent. As of May 2026, over 600 videos have been released, marking an overwhelming achievement within and outside the funeral industry.