Japan’s love motel turned funeral home sparks fierce debate on declining birth rate and ageing population

JAPAN: A former love motel in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, has been repurposed into a funeral home, sparking intense conversations on social media about Japan’s declining birth rates and its ageing population.

According to a recent South China Morning Post story, the transformation of the once-popular love motel into a solemn funeral parlour was first shared by a netizen in February, accompanied by a photo of the building. Another user, known by the handle @mikumo_hk, responded by posting a Google Street View snapshot showing the site when it was still functioning as a motel. The reaction highlighted the connection between the site’s change in purpose and Japan’s demographic issues.

“From love motels to funeral homes—this is a stark reflection of Japan’s ageing society and shrinking population,” commented one observer.

Love motels—once a hallmark of Japan’s economic “bubble era” in the 1980s—have long been known for providing couples with privacy and comfort. These establishments vary widely in quality, ranging from luxurious, five-star accommodations to more modest, suburban venues. Some are even known for their bold, themed decorations, often incorporating futuristic, anime, or fantasy elements.

Now, however, the former Saitama love motel stands in stark contrast, with rooms now painted a muted white, exuding a serene, almost heavenly atmosphere fitting for a funeral home. One online commenter quipped, “This is truly ‘from cradle to grave,'” while another pondered, “I imagine some people begin and end their lives at the same place.”

Public reaction has been mixed. Some expressed discomfort with the idea of a funeral being held in a converted love motel, with one user stating, “I do not want my funeral held in a former love motel.”

This repurposing of spaces echoes a deeper societal shift in Japan. Love motels emerged during the country’s second baby boom in the 1960s and 1970s, a period when birth rates soared, reaching over two million births annually between 1971 and 1974. However, recent statistics paint a starkly different picture. Japan’s birth rate dropped to a record low of 720,988 in 2024, marking the ninth consecutive year of decline. Meanwhile, Japan’s elderly population continues to rise, with 36.25 million people aged 65 and older, accounting for nearly 30% of the population. By 2040, elderly people are projected to make up nearly 35% of the population.

The decline in love motels mirrors this demographic shift. According to the National Police Agency, the number of registered love hotels in Japan fell from 5,670 in 2016 to 5,183 in 2020.

As Japan grapples with these profound demographic changes, the story of a love motel transformed into a funeral home serves as a poignant reminder of the country’s evolving social landscape.