Abstract
This paper examines the vocabulary of “legitimation” in the funeral business. I examine two movements that have occurred in post-war Japan. Both movements were related to funeral simplification. In the course of opposing funeral simplification, the funeral business experienced difficulty in asserting its legitimacy vis a vis the actors in each movement. In this paper, I indicate the relationship between the vocabulary used to explain the legitimacy of the funeral business to the actors in each movement and its effect in achieving social recognition.
