Photo/Illutration The municipal crematorium in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture (Provided by the municipality)

TAJIMI, Gifu Prefecture—Municipal officials here announced a plan to begin extracting and selling precious metals from cremated human remains starting in the next fiscal year.

This initiative, announced last month, is an effort to bolster local government coffers.

“We want to make use of what can be used while also being considerate of the bereaved families,” said Tajimi Mayor Takayuki Takagi.

Tajimi is among a growing number of municipalities implementing similar initiatives, with some generating annual sales revenues exceeding 200 million yen ($1.28 million).

However, other municipalities remain hesitant to adopt this approach due to ethical considerations.

Bereaved families typically collect only a small portion of their loved ones’ cremated remains. The uncollected ashes may contain gold, silver, palladium and other precious metals from teeth, artificial joints and implanted medical devices.

Despite some criticism, Tajimi has decided to proceed with its plan to extract and sell these precious metals from cremated human ashes.

The decision was made following a survey conducted in February, which found that 95 percent of the 562 randomly selected citizens were either in favor of or somewhat in favor of the initiative.

Tajimi will commission metal refiners to extract precious metals from uncollected ashes. The city will then auction off the extracted metals.

The estimated sales revenue of 10 million yen will be used to cover maintenance costs for the furnace and other equipment at the municipal crematorium.

A growing number of municipalities are following suit.

Following a similar survey to Tajimi’s, the neighboring city of Mizunami launched its own program in April of last year to extract and sell precious metals from cremated remains.

Asahikawa, Hokkaido, also started the initiative this fiscal year, expecting to generate 4 million yen annually in revenue.

Both cities cite the growing number of municipalities adopting similar practices as one of the reasons for their decision.

Nagoya, which has been recovering precious metals from cremated remains since 1986, introduced an auction system four years ago.

The winning bidder collects the cremated remains, extracts the precious metals and then returns the remaining ashes to the city for burial in the municipal cemetery.

The auction amount reached a record high of approximately 225 million yen in the last fiscal year. The city attributes this increase to both a rise in the number of deaths and the soaring price of gold.

On the other hand, some municipalities remain hesitant about monetizing cremated ashes.

Shizuoka, for example, has decided against selling cremated ashes, despite considering it as an option.

“We believe it’s also a matter of regional culture,” said a municipal official. “But we’ve decided to prioritize the feelings of the bereaved families.”

According to a 2018 survey by the welfare ministry, 20 out of 94 responding municipalities either sold uncollected cremation ashes directly or precious metals extracted from it.

The ministry said there are no clear regulations governing the handling of uncollected human ashes, leaving the decision to the municipalities.

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