After the funeral of your foreign spouse in Koshigaya City | Arranging the sorting of belongings with family in your home country

Immediately after the funeral and cremation of a beloved spouse in Koshigaya City, even amidst grief, you will need to confront many things, such as your home, contracts, and mementos. If the deceased was a foreign national or if family members live in their home country, it can be difficult to decide "what to keep," "who to consult," and "when to start sorting things out" solely within Japan.

Estate clearing isn't about hastily disposing of everything. It's important to protect valuable items and documents, share the situation with family back home, and create a situation where decisions can be made one by one. Because of language barriers, time differences, and distance, we recommend using photos, lists, and records to allow for later review.

First, before we begin cleaning, we will protect the home and the belongings of the deceased.

After a family funeral, once you've finished dealing with attendees and making various communications, you might feel compelled to clean up the house immediately. However, disposing of items you're unsure about could lead to misunderstandings with your family back home. Start not with decluttering, but with preservation.

• For rental properties, check the contract details, move-out date, and who is allowed to enter the property.
• Keep your keys, wallet, identification card, residence card, bankbook, seal, and mobile phone in one place.
• Record the date of arrival and the sender of any mail or packages so you don't miss anything.
• Food and perishable items in the refrigerator are handled with hygiene in mind, and photos are taken of any items that are unsure.
• Before moving anything, record the entire room and the state of the storage with photos and videos.

Photographs are not just for determining the value of things. They also serve as a record to communicate the current situation to family members who live far away, and to review "what happened" together later. Adding descriptive names to the photos, such as by room or by box, will make organization easier.

I will share the message I want to convey to my family back home in short segments.

When communicating with family members overseas, it's easier to reduce their burden by breaking down the information into smaller parts rather than asking them to make many decisions at once. Even when using translation apps, focusing on short sentences and bullet points makes it easier to understand the meaning. Religious and cultural backgrounds, as well as the deceased's important beliefs, cannot be understood by nationality alone. It is important to ask the family members themselves what items they would like to keep and what treatments they would like to avoid.

Things I'd like to confirm in our initial contact

1. An overview of important documents and valuables currently stored in the room.
2. Are there any items you would like me to keep instead of disposing of them immediately?
3. Are there any rooms, boxes, or items you would like to see in photos?
4. Who will be the point of contact? If there are multiple people, decide on the final confirmation method.
5. Contact times and languages considering time differences

It's reassuring to keep a record of communication in a format that can be easily reviewed later, such as messages, emails, or shared lists. Even for phone conversations, noting the date, time, and key points in Japanese or a language that both parties can easily understand can reduce misunderstandings.

How to categorize inherited belongings into "store, review, and potential disposal"

There's no need to jump straight into detailed classifications. Start by dividing things into three main categories and creating boxes where you can reserve judgment. Information regarding the deceased's smartphone, computer, and various accounts may contain private content. Don't rush to view or cancel anything; proceed while confirming necessary procedures and handling with the relevant parties.

• Items to storeDocuments related to personal status or contracts, keys, valuables, photographs, letters, and items that the deceased cherished.
• Things to check with family: Clothing, jewelry, souvenirs, items that may be sent back to one's home country, and items whose value or origin is unknown.
• Candidates to let goDamaged items, expired items, daily necessities, etc. However, photos and a list should be kept before disposal.

Write the contents, storage date, photo number, and decision status on each box or bag. Place boxes marked "Awaiting Confirmation" in a separate location from other items being tidied up. To avoid situations that might make it seem like you took things without permission, it's a good idea to record the storage location and the date you took them out or put them back in.

We will check each item before sending it overseas.

Family members in your home country may wish to receive your loved one's belongings. However, the types of items that can be sent and how they must be declared vary depending on the country, region, and shipping method. Special attention may be required regarding the acceptance of valuables, food, plant-derived items, and electronic devices containing batteries. Before deciding to ship, please check with your intended shipping company, the relevant authorities in your destination country, and, if necessary, the consular office.

Making a list of items to send, including item name, quantity, condition, photo, recipient, and shipping date, will be helpful for confirming with your family. For items that cannot be shipped or for which you are unsure whether to send, do not rush to a decision; you can also consider storing them domestically. For items or rights that may be related to inheritance, the handling will differ depending on the individual circumstances, so please consider consulting a specialist as needed.

We will consolidate information from families in Soka City and Yoshikawa City into one place.

If the deceased or their family lived in an area that extended beyond Koshigaya City to include Soka City and Yoshikawa City, there may be multiple locations where belongings are kept, such as relatives' homes, workplaces, and storage locations. In such cases, it is helpful to create a single list indicating who is holding which items and which contacts have been consulted.

The list should include not only the name of the item but also its status, such as "In Storage," "Under Family Review," or "Procedure Review." Even if not all family members can immediately access the same information, keeping a record of the update date and creator will reduce the burden of having to explain everything from scratch each time someone needs to be contacted. If family members cannot agree on a course of action, they can choose to continue storing the item instead of disposing of it.

To move on to the next stage of life in a way that is manageable.

Just because the funeral, family service, and cremation are over doesn't mean you need to rush into emotional closure. Sorting through belongings involves not only administrative tasks but also an opportunity to reflect on the time you spent with the deceased. If you feel exhausted or sleep-deprived, don't try to handle it all alone. Consider asking a trusted relative or someone close to you for help with recording and sorting.

At our company, we carefully listen to the concerns and anxieties that families may have after the funeral. Please note that the availability and scope of services regarding multilingual consultations, individual interpretation, religious rites, and handling of belongings vary depending on the circumstances, so prior confirmation is necessary. The important thing is not to rush to a decision, but to create arrangements that respect the deceased and their family in their home country.