Why a film about a taboo profession became Japan's most celebrated cinematic export
In short: Departures follows a failed cellist who finds unexpected purpose as a ritual mortician. Despite deep-seated Japanese cultural stigmas against those who handle the dead, the film overcame initial distribution hurdles to become a global success, ultimately securing the country's first Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009.
The film's journey began with actor Masahiro Motoki, who was profoundly moved by witnessing funeral rites along the Ganges in India. This experience led him to Shinmon Aoki’s memoir, Coffinman, which detailed the life of a nōkanshi—a professional who prepares bodies for cremation. While the film is loosely based on this work, it significantly departs from the book's explicit Buddhist musings and darker imagery, opting instead for a more humanistic, commercial narrative. Director Yōjirō Takita, known for his background in pink films, sought to explore the universal yet marginalized experience of those who bridge the gap between the living and the dead.
Central to the film is the nōkan ceremony, a highly ritualized process of cleansing and dressing the deceased. In reality, this practice is rare and largely confined to rural areas, as traditional Japanese culture often views death as a source of defilement. Historically, those who worked with corpses were treated as untouchables, a social stigma that persists despite modern shifts. The film uses the protagonist, Daigo, to challenge these prejudices, portraying his work not as a source of shame, but as a dignified act of compassion that helps families process their grief and reconcile broken connections.
The production process was as meticulous as the rituals it depicted. Motoki underwent hands-on training with a real mortician, comparing the delicate, precise movements of the ceremony to the Japanese tea ceremony. To enhance the emotional resonance, the soundtrack features prominent cello music, which the director intentionally paralleled with the mortician’s work—both involve a physical, tender embrace of a form. By blending whimsy with the gravity of mortality, the film avoids becoming overly somber, instead offering a contemplative look at how the living navigate the finality of death.
While some critics argued the film was overly sentimental or predictable, its impact remains undeniable. It sparked renewed interest in traditional encoffining ceremonies and transformed local filming sites into tourist destinations. Ultimately, the film serves as a quiet protest against the lingering repulsion surrounding death in modern society, suggesting that the act of sending off the departed is a vital, humanizing experience that affirms the value of the lives left behind.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Departures (2008 film)
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