Prabha Ossuary Hall / teamSTAR

This project was the design of a nokotsudo, or ossuary hall, located on the grounds of Myorenji Temple in the city of Oita, Oita Prefecture. Such buildings offer an alternative to cemeteries and house small spaces—often locker-style spaces with small altars—that serve as repositories for cinerary urns. In recent years, the demand for ossuaries in Japan has been surging as factors such as a shrinking population, rural-to-urban migration, and the decline of extended families make it increasingly difficult for people to care for and maintain traditional graves at cemeteries on the grounds of local temples. The design of a memorial space that accounts for immediate needs and long-term considerations in Japanese society offers a practical solution to this problem.