Abstract
To gain the basic knowledge of “life and death education,” the Japanese students' consciousness of the fear of death and after death was studied by a questionnaire survey. The responses were processed by the multidimentional fear of death scale (MFODS). The survey results showed: 1. Five factors about fear or anxiety of death and after death were distilled by the factor analysis. The results were different from those of a similar survey in the United States. The difference indicates the importance of a consideration for local religious and customs in developing the life and death education. 2. About 60% of the respondents stated that they had no religious faith, but it is to be noted that the average Japanese often show some religious behaviors whether or not they claim to be non-religious. Such being the case, it is important to induce this fact into the life and death education. 3. Of the gender difference regarding the fear or anxiety of death and after death, the female respondents showed higher results with all factors. 4. Those with lower level of religious faith produced lower factors of the fear of death and after death as well as the anxiety of their body after death while the factors of the fear of death body was higher. 5. It is considered that the five factors of the fear or anxiety of death and after death indicates what the contents of the life and death education should be. Therefore, much is expected of further studies on the five factors.
