What is a Grave Relocation Permit?

To ensure the remains are safely transferred to the next place of memorial

When researching grave closure or perpetual memorial graves, you may come across the term "Grave Relocation Permit" (Kaiso Kyokasho).

It may be a term you are not very familiar with in your daily life.

You might think, "Government procedures seem difficult,"
"Am I not allowed to move the remains on my own?"
"I don't know where to start."

I understand that some people may feel anxious about this.

However, a Grave Relocation Permit is by no means a scary document.
It is not something handled only by special people.

In short, a Grave Relocation Permit is a document for officially confirming whose remains they are, where they are currently interred, and where they will be moved to a document.

It is a verification document to ensure that the remains are safely transferred from the current grave to the next place of memorial.
Thinking of it this way might make it a little easier to understand.

In this article, we will organize what a Grave Relocation Permit is, where to go for the procedures, and what kind of verification is required.

1. What is grave relocation (Kaiso)? Moving remains to another location

First, what is "grave relocation" (Kaiso)?

Grave relocation refers to moving remains that are already interred in a grave or charnel house to another cemetery or charnel house.

For example, this applies in the following cases:

• Moving from the current grave to a perpetual memorial grave

• Moving a grave located far away to a cemetery near your home

• Moving from a temple cemetery to a charnel house

• Moving to a relative's grave

• Interring in another place of memorial following a grave closure

In other words, grave relocation is the procedure for moving remains from their current location to the next place of memorial.

What is important here is that grave relocation is not the act of "clearing out the grave" itself.

Removal of the gravestone.
Closing prayer service.
Requesting services from a stonemason.
Interment in a perpetual memorial grave.

These are all important steps, but the core of what a Grave Relocation Permit involves is the confirmation of where the remains are being moved from and to.

Therefore, when considering a grave relocation, please first organize the following two points.

Where are the remains currently interred?
Where will they be interred in the future?

Once these two points are clear, the meaning of the Grave Relocation Permit becomes easier to understand.

2. Why is a Grave Relocation Permit necessary?

Remains are irreplaceable and precious to the family.

At the same time, within society, it is necessary to properly confirm whose remains are interred where.

For this reason, when moving remains to another cemetery or charnel house, the process involves obtaining permission for the relocation from the local government where the current grave is located.

The Grave Relocation Permit is not a document for coldly "managing" the deceased.

Rather, it is for:

Ensuring the location of the remains is not ambiguous.
Preventing misunderstandings between relatives and cemetery administrators.
Ensuring formal acceptance at the new interment site.
Clarifying whose remains are being moved, and from where to where.

It is a confirmation document for those purposes.

In other words, the Grave Relocation Permit is a document that connects the current grave to the next place of memorial.

It is not just about removing the remains, but ensuring they are properly interred in the next location.
This is necessary to confirm the path between the local government, the current cemetery administrator, and the new interment site.

3. Procedures are carried out at the local government where the current grave is located

The application for a Grave Relocation Permit is basically carried out in the municipality where the cemetery or charnel house currently housing the remains is located.

A common mistake here is the point that it is not the place of residence of the applicant.

For example, even if the applicant lives in Tokyo, if the current grave is in Saitama Prefecture, you generally confirm the procedures with the local government where that grave is located.

The necessary documents and application methods differ depending on the local government.

In some cases, you may need to complete the procedure at the counter.
Some municipalities may handle it by mail.
You may also need acceptance documents from the destination of the relocation.
If the grave user and the applicant are different, a letter of consent may be required.

Therefore, the first thing you should do is check with the municipality where the current grave is located.

"I would like to obtain a Grave Relocation Permit; what do I need?"

If you ask that, they will guide you through the necessary documents and the process.

There is no need to overthink it.
However, since the specific handling varies by municipality, do not proceed based solely on general information from the internet; be sure to check with the municipality where the current grave is located.

4. Certification from the current cemetery manager is required

In principle, an application for a grave relocation permit requires certification from the manager of the current grave or charnel house.

This is a confirmation that:

"The remains of that person are indeed interred in this grave."

This is the confirmation.

If it is a temple cemetery, the temple may provide the certification.
If it is a memorial park, the management office may provide the certification.
If it is a communal or local cemetery, you need to identify the manager or representative.

This can sometimes take more time than expected.

For old graves, it may not be immediately clear:

Who is the user of the grave?
Who is the manager?
How many remains are interred?
Does it match the records in the grave register or past records?
The official family name is difficult to determine because it is known by a shop name or common name.

Such points may not be immediately clear.

Especially in old local cemeteries, family memories may not perfectly match the records of the temple or manager.

Also, in old graves, there may be ancestors whose names are not clearly known.

Even in such cases, you do not need to assume that you cannot proceed with the procedure.
You can just check one by one with the temple or cemetery manager while comparing the grave register, past records, cemetery ledger, and family memories.

"Will the government office get angry if there are ancestors whose names I don't know?"
"Can't I proceed with anything if I don't know the names?"

Some people feel anxious about this.

However, it is not uncommon for older graves to have details that are unknown.
The important thing is not to rush forward without knowing.

Even if there are remains whose names are unknown, they will never be abandoned.
First, consult with the temple or cemetery administrator, and it will be fine if you carefully unravel the details one by one, starting with what you do know.

A Grave Relocation Permit is not just a procedure for gathering paperwork.
It is also a procedure for carefully confirming whose remains are being moved.

5. Confirmation of the new burial site is also necessary

In a grave relocation, it is important to confirm not only the current grave but also the new burial site.

If it has not been decided where the remains will be placed after they are removed, it will be difficult to proceed with the relocation procedures.

Depending on the local government, you may be required to provide the following documents regarding the new burial site.

• Certificate of Acceptance

• Usage Permit

• Application documents for a perpetual memorial grave

• Documents identifying the new burial site

The names of these documents vary depending on the local government and cemetery.

The important thing is that confirmation of the current location and confirmation of the future burial location are both required.

Whose remains are currently interred in the grave?
Where will those remains be moved to?
Is the new burial site officially ready to accept them?

By confirming these connections, the Grave Relocation Permit is issued.

Therefore, when considering a grave relocation, you need to:

“Confirm the current grave”
“Confirm the new burial site”
“Apply to the local government”

You need to organize these three things in parallel.

6. Consult with relatives and the administrator before handling documents

The Grave Relocation Permit is an essential document for the procedure.

However, just because you have received permission from the municipal office does not necessarily mean that your relatives' feelings are settled.

In other words, obtaining a stamp from the municipal office and obtaining the "stamp of approval" from your relatives' hearts are entirely different matters.

If you confuse these two,

"even though there are no problems with the procedures, your relationship with your relatives may become strained"

is something that can happen.

Municipal permission is necessary to proceed with the grave relocation procedures.
However, the permit cannot take care of settling your relatives' feelings for you.

Therefore, there are points you should confirm at a minimum before proceeding with the paperwork.

Who will take the lead in proceeding with the procedures?
Who is the registered user of the grave site?
Have you informed the relatives who have a close relationship with the deceased?
Are there any major disagreements among the family regarding the new burial site?
Have you consulted with the current grave administrator in advance?

In particular, if you try to proceed with the municipal paperwork first without telling the temple or cemetery, misunderstandings may occur later.

Grave relocation is not a procedure that is completed solely by the municipal office.

The current grave administrator.
The new burial site.
Your relatives.
And the person applying.

Only when confirmation from each of these parties is gathered can things finally proceed smoothly.

I will touch upon discussions with relatives in more detail next time.
For now, please just remember that a grave relocation permit alone does not guarantee the understanding of your relatives.

7. Information that is good to have ready when consulting

When consulting with a temple or grave administrator about grave relocation, you do not need to have everything researched perfectly.

However, having the following information will make the discussion easier to proceed.

• Location of the current grave

• Name of the cemetery or graveyard

• Name of the registered grave user

• Names of those whose remains are interred

• Kaimyo (posthumous Buddhist name) or homyo (Dharma name) to the extent known

• Date of death to the extent known

• Approximately how many people are interred

• Candidates for the new burial site

• Relationship between the applicant and the deceased

It is fine if there are items you do not know.

For old graves, information that the family is unaware of may remain in the temple's past register or cemetery ledger.

If you are thinking, "I haven't decided yet," "I want to know what to check before dealing with the documents," or "I don't know whose names I need to look up,"

it is perfectly fine to consult with us at that stage.

In fact, rather than worrying alone while not knowing, it is sometimes easier to organize things if you consult with us early on.

In conclusion: A Grave Relocation Permit is more than just a piece of paper from the government.

The term "Grave Relocation Permit" inevitably sounds administrative.

However, if you look at it differently, it is a document for confirming the names of the deceased one by one and carefully connecting them to the next place of memorial service.

Whose remains were interred where?
Where will they be moved to from here?
Who will take responsibility for the procedures?

Confirming these one by one and leaving a record.

Not sparing the effort to do so becomes an important preparation to ensure the remains are treated with respect.

A Grave Relocation Permit is not the memorial service itself.
However, it is a confirmation to ensure that the memorial service is not treated lightly.

Preparing documents, confirming with the administrator, deciding on a new location, and informing relatives.
Each of those steps becomes an important path for connecting the Buddha to the next place of memorial service.

Our temple also accepts consultations regarding grave closure, grave relocation, and perpetual memorial graves.

There is no need to decide immediately.
You may start by simply organizing the current situation of your grave.

Let's think about how to proceed with as few regrets as possible, while confirming together what we know and what we don't.

Next time: How to bring up the topic of graves with parents and relatives

Grave matters are a difficult topic to discuss even within a family. Next time, we will consider how to consult with parents and relatives about the future of the grave.

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