On Thursday, September 25, 2025, a graveside ceremony and a memorial service for the souls of the anatomical deceased were held at Tama Cemetery and Zojoji Temple, hosted by the School of Medicine.
Every year during the autumnal equinox, the School of Medicine holds a memorial service for the souls of the anatomical deceased, welcoming bereaved families and attended by faculty, staff, and students of the School of Medicine. The purpose of this service is to pray for the repose of the souls who offered their precious bodies for the advancement of medical education and academic research. This ceremony has been held at Zojoji Temple in Shiba Park, Minato City, since 1928, and is positioned as one of the most important events in the School of Medicine.
Prior to the memorial service this year, a graveside ceremony was held in front of the School of Medicine's ossuary at Tama Cemetery. Along with the chanting of sutras by monks from Zojoji Temple, incense was offered by officials from the School of Medicine, including Takanori Kanai, Dean of the School of Medicine.
Subsequently, the memorial service for the souls of the anatomical deceased was held in the main hall of Zojoji Temple. During the service, a memorial address was delivered by the Dean of the School of Medicine, and approximately 300 bereaved family members, students, and related parties attended while sutras were chanted by many monks, including His Eminence Kenju Ozawa, the 89th High Priest of Daihonzan Zojoji Temple. Finally, representing the faculty and staff, Professor Yoshiaki Kubota of the Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, expressed sincere respect and gratitude to the deceased and their families, taking to heart the fact that the bodies were donated for the progress of medical sciences. He also stated that in the context of practical training, the highest priority is placed on approaching dissection while fully sensing the noble will of the deceased who donated their bodies. He expressed his belief that the students of the School of Medicine, who have learned much through dissection, will become good doctors in the future and give back to the bereaved families. The ceremony concluded with a greeting pledging to continue striving further for the development of medical education and medical sciences.
Photography: Takeshi Kishi