Japanese often cite an old aphorism that goes, ¡°Tatsu tori ato wo nigosazu¡± (¡°It is a foolish bird that defiles its own nest¡°). This can be taken to mean that a departing person should not leave behind a mess.
What kind of mess? Well, it goes without saying that contemporary affluence has enabled people to accumulate material possessions to a degree unthinkable by earlier generations. Many of these articles ¡ª items composed of metal, ceramics, glass and wood, and the dwellings that house them ¡ª can outlast human protoplasm for many decades without appreciating in commercial value.
To the elderly, a home and its treasured possessions can become a considerable burden on both the owners and their heirs.
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