How to get funeral consultations in Vietnamese in Ageo City | Information to gather before contacting

Immediately after the death of a loved one, you may be faced with many decisions to make in a short amount of time amidst grief and confusion. Some families may feel uneasy about procedures and funeral consultations in Japanese and wish to confirm details in Vietnamese. When seeking advice in Ageo City, it will be easier to proceed if you first briefly organize your current situation and what is important to your family.

Seikatsu Funeral Service Center offers email consultations for multilingual inquiries. Individual interpretation, transportation, placement, religious rites, and associated costs vary depending on the situation and your wishes, so it's important to confirm these details in advance. You don't need to decide everything at once. Please feel free to share what you know, and don't hesitate to ask questions about things you don't understand.

What is the current situation that you should mention in your initial contact?

The starting point for consultation is the current location of the deceased and the situation in which the family needs to make decisions and by when. Depending on the current location, such as a hospital, facility, or home, the order in which we will confirm information regarding the placement or transfer of the deceased may vary. Even if you have already received explanations from a doctor, please let us know if you are unsure of the names of documents or the progress of the procedures.

• Have you been informed of the deceased's current location and how they are being moved?
• Have you received or are you expecting to receive a death certificate or autopsy report?
• The person in your family who is the primary contact person and decision-maker.
• What I would like to confirm in Japanese, Vietnamese, or another language.
• Plans that have already been decided, things that need to be confirmed urgently.

In Japan, it is recommended to file a death notification within seven days of learning of the death, along with a death certificate or post-mortem examination report. Since confirmation may be required at the relevant office for filing notifications and cremation permits, it is advisable to make a note of who is keeping the original documents, and any points you wish to confirm regarding the spelling of names or nationality.

Write down briefly what you want to confirm in Vietnamese.

While simply stating "I'd like to discuss this in Vietnamese" is important, specifying which parts you'd like to confirm in your native language will help clarify the necessary details. For example, the information you need to prepare will differ depending on whether you want to understand an estimate or schedule, prepare a document to communicate to relatives, or explain your wishes regarding ceremonial matters.

Even when using translation apps or contacting family and friends, ensuring consistent spelling of basic information such as the deceased's name, date of birth, contact person's name, and contact method will reduce misunderstandings. If the name as written on a passport or other official document differs from the name commonly used, it's a good idea to mention the difference. However, when sending personal information, confirm the scope of information requested by the person you are consulting and avoid hastily sharing more document images than necessary.

The questions will be divided into "hopes" and "things you want to confirm."

When writing an inquiry, it's helpful to separate your requests from your questions and factual inquiries. Requests might include things like, "I want to be surrounded by close family members," "I want to inform relatives in Vietnam about the situation," or "I want to discuss specific clothing or prayers." On the other hand, questions to be confirmed might include, "Can these requests be accommodated?", "Who needs to be contacted for confirmation?", and "By when do decisions need to be made?"

• What kind of farewell do you prefer? Is it a family funeral, centered around close friends and family?
• Do you have any rough estimate of the number of people expected to attend?
• Have you contacted your family in Vietnam, or are they considering coming to Japan or participating?
• Are there any things you value in terms of consulting with religious figures, prayer, offerings, clothing, etc.?
• Do you wish to have the cremation done in Japan, or would you like to consider options including overseas transport?

Religious ceremonies, overseas transport, burial preferences, clothing, and online participation methods vary depending on the country, region, religious figures, receiving facilities, and airlines. Even if you have a preference, don't assume it's possible on the spot. It's important to communicate what's important to you and then organize the necessary information from each source one by one.

The venue and cremation arrangements should be considered separately.

The venue for the funeral service and the cremation location are not necessarily the same. For example, Hikari Kaikan in Saitama City is a funeral facility, but cremation is handled at either Urawa Crematorium or Omiya Seien. When considering venue preferences, you need to check not only where the service will be held, but also the crematorium reservation, transportation, and the burden on attendees. You need to check with each facility regarding eligibility requirements and availability.

If you have relatives living not only in Ageo City but also in Okegawa City or Ina Town, consider factors such as ease of gathering and travel time. Instead of choosing a venue based solely on the location, consider the deceased's resting place, the departure points of attendees, the desired size of the funeral, and the process leading up to cremation. This will help you reassess the burden on your family.

Summarize the family's wishes on a single memo.

When gathering opinions from relatives who live far away or overseas, discussions can become lengthy due to differences in communication time and language barriers. While it's not necessary to reach a conclusion with everyone before contacting them, organizing the information on a single memo can be helpful for the person handling the communication. The key is to separate what has been decided, what is under consideration, and what needs confirmation.

1. Please record the deceased's name, nationality, current location, and the status of necessary documents.
2. Please describe your family, including the contact person, primary language of communication, and the status of contact with relatives living abroad.
3. Regarding the funeral arrangements, please indicate whether you wish for a private family funeral, the expected number of attendees, and any religious or cultural preferences.
4. Regarding the procedures, list the places you need to contact, such as the death certificate, cremation permit, and notifications to the embassy/consulate in Japan or the home country.
5. Narrow down the questions you want to ask the person you're consulting to about three, in order of priority.

When filing a death certificate for a foreign national, you may need to confirm details such as nationality, name spelling, and notification to their home country with the relevant government office, embassy, or consulate. Since the procedures in Japan and the information to be communicated in their home country may differ, it is helpful to make a note of "who to contact, what to confirm, and when" to avoid having to repeat the same explanations.

It's okay to ask questions even if you still have some things you don't understand.

When discussing funeral arrangements, you don't need to decide on the venue, date, attendees, cremation, and subsequent procedures from the start. Rather, being frank about points you're unsure about or things you want to understand accurately in Vietnamese will lead to more satisfying preparations. Especially when you're in a hurry, try separating "things you want to confirm today" from "things you want to decide after discussing them with your family."

When contacting Seikatsu Funeral Service Center, it's best to start by briefly explaining your current situation, preferred contact method, and what you'd like to confirm in Vietnamese. Prior confirmation is necessary regarding the possibility and conditions of individual assistance. Let's proceed by gradually organizing the information so that the time spent saying goodbye to your loved one is manageable for your family.