Japanese Buddhism has changed over the years and now mainly has the function of dealing with all things concerning death, since death and blood are a taboo in Shintoism.
Japanese Buddhism has been adapted to fit Japanese society during many centuries. Therefore, even though it might sound contradictory, Japanese Buddhism is not very much concerned with the idea of reincarnation. Rather, the main function that it has is to provide for the honouring of ancestors.
In general, Japanese people believe that after you die, your spirit goes to the world of the afterlife. The better your deeds during your lifetime, the better your afterlife. However, it might also happen that a death person has not been well taken care of during his or her life or has been murdered for example. In this case, the spirit has some 'unsolved business' and can stay in the world as we know it and haunt people. Ghost legends are very common in Japan and the belief in ghosts is widespread. The family and friends of a death person are responsible to take good care of him or her. It is also in their own interest since the death spirit can haunt them if they don't. Therefore, Japanese people have many memorial services for the deceased members of their family, up until the hundred memorial.
The funeral in Japan consists of a wake, the cremation of the deceased, a burial in a family grave and many memorial services.
Photos funeral
preparing the deceased for funeral in the film Okuribito
altar of funeral
Here are some photos I took related to the Japanese Buddhist funeral.
family at the grave
graveyard in Tokyo
This is a the trailer of Okuribito, a film about a men who's job is to prepare the death for their funerals.
For more information about 'funeral Buddhism' this is a very interesting and relevant article from the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/world/asia/14japan.html
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