Memento Mori in NYC: Discovering Your True IKIGAI Through the Japanese View of Death
To look closely at death is to awaken the power of life.
When we remember that we will one day pass away, the miracle of the "here and now" comes brilliantly alive.
We are captivated not by the cherry blossoms in full bloom, but by the petals dancing and falling in the wind.
Rather than seeking flawless perfection, we repair broken pottery with gold, discovering profound beauty in scars and endings.
This is the spirit of "Wabi-Sabi."
Since ancient times, we Japanese have embraced the concept of impermanence (Mujo)—the understanding that all physical things must come to an end. It is precisely within this fleeting fragility that we find the true brilliance of life.
That "everyone dies someday" is a universal truth.
But that "someday" is not a distant future; it is inherently woven into our "now."
We are always living with death gently held in our arms.
This is exactly what [DEATH FES] reminds us of.
A Space to Embrace Death as Your Own (Memories from Shibuya)
When I attended the previous Death Fes at Shibuya Hikarie in Tokyo, the first thing that struck my heart was its core concept: "Make death more pop, and redefine how we prepare for the end."
Let’s talk about it more casually.
Let’s feel it more intimately.
Let’s have more fun and play with it.
Combined with the vibrant energy of Shibuya—the mecca of pop culture—this message drew an incredibly diverse crowd. From teenagers and twenty-somethings to seniors.
From drag queens and artists to CEOs, journalists, Buddhist monks, funeral directors, and local bar owners...
"Everyone" in their "own unique way" was feeling, playing, connecting, and embracing "death" as a deeply personal matter.
It was such a tender, highly creative space and time. (As expected from Japan, the world's most super-aging society!)
And Now, the Stage Moves to New York: The Crossroads of Diversity
In Japan, we have a long-standing culture that embraces death not as an "end," but as an integral part of life.
Traditions like Obon, memorial services, visiting graves, Buddhist philosophy, and the aesthetic appreciation of impermanence are deeply rooted within the Japanese psyche.
However, it is also true that in our highly optimized modern society, "death" has been pushed away, often treated as a taboo or "bad luck," becoming a difficult topic to discuss.
Meanwhile, in the US, movements like Death Cafes, the Death Positive Movement, and SBNR (Spiritual But Not Religious) have been rapidly spreading in recent years, encouraging people to reframe death as a natural part of life.
Because New York is a melting pot where diverse cultures, religions, and values intersect, we believe that Japan's delicate view of life and death, along with our mourning culture, has the potential to be deeply embraced as a "new cultural experience."
Riding this wave, [Death Fes] is crossing the ocean under the banner: [Memento Mori in NYC: The Art of Japanese Life and Death].
Highlighted Contents of [Memento Mori in NYC: The Art of Japanese Life and Death]
The representative, Masumi Murata, runs the end-of-life planning bar "Memento Mori" in Morishita, Tokyo, and has been a key figure in the annual Death Fes in Shibuya. She has dedicated herself to creating spaces where death can be discussed openly, without taboo.
Now, her movement is crossing borders and expanding to New York!
The venue is "RESOBOX," located in the East Village in southeastern Manhattan.
In this vibrant neighborhood where art, music, and counterculture merge, a highly unique program to experience the Japanese view of life and death will unfold.
Coffin Experience:
A meditative experience where you lie inside a beautiful denim coffin printed with Hokusai’s "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji," to quietly face your own life and death. This project, which received a massive response in Japan, is now coming to NY!
Portrait of the Deceased:
A photo session not "for death," but to "capture the brilliance of you living in the now." This is a collaboration with artists active in NY.
Art on Life & Death (Exhibition & Sale):
A gathering of Japanese art pieces themed around death, memory, and mourning, expressing our view of life and death through contemporary art.
Bar Memento Mori in NYC: A space to naturally talk about life and death with a drink in hand. We are recreating the atmosphere of Tokyo's end-of-life bar, "Memento Mori," right in NY.
Panel Session: Diverse talks covering themes such as mourning, end-of-life planning, wellness, art, and philosophy.
▶︎ Event Details for Memento Mori in NYC: click here
Beyond IKIGAI: Why the Japanese View of Death Brings Us Back to Life
To look closely at death is to fundamentally ask ourselves, "How do I want to live?"
This is precisely the core question of "IKIGAI."
When passed through the ultimate filter of death, all the external noise—other people's judgments, social expectations, and the endless list of "things I have to do (Doing)"—is entirely stripped away.
What remains is only the pure impulse of life: "I simply love this," and "I am happy just Being here."
That is the true essence of the IKIGAI that already lives quietly inside of you.
Historically, in many Western cultures, "life" and "death" have been divided as polar opposites.
However, in ancient Japanese culture, we do not draw strict boundaries between life and death, self and other, or light and darkness.
Like the spirit of "Non-duality (Jita-Ichinyo)"—everything is connected through En-gi (dependent origination), a beautiful, ever-shifting web woven together moment by moment.
By fearlessly weaving the thread called "death" into this one-of-a-kind, beautiful tapestry, the IKIGAI we hold in the "here and now" takes on an even more vivid, radiant brilliance.
Not for "Someday," but to realize the miracle that exists "Here and now."
If you live in or around New York, please come visit us at RESOBOX.
Let’s talk about "Death" and "IKIGAI" with a delicious drink in hand.
May many beautiful sparks of life cross paths in the city of NY!
With Love,
Ai Funato, IKIGAI Explorer
▶︎ Event Details for Memento Mori in NYC: click here
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