Japan’s ageing society is finding creative ways to dispose of its dead

The Sakashitas gather in front of a gigantic red balloon. Inside it are the ashes of their late father, Haruhiko, and his late dog, Fuu-chan. On a count of three, Saiko, the dead man’s daughter, snips the string tethering the helium-filled orb. It shoots into the sky, with a dozen smaller balloons in pursuit. The family members watch—some waving—until the balloons disappear into the clouds. “Our father was a calm man, always travelling the world,” says his oldest son, Kohei. “Whenever we look at the sky, we will think of him.”