Do Japanese have "burial" superstitions?

[Taro Toporific]

Head2Head Trivia
More great trivia - Knock on Wood
Post and Courier | Charleston.net | News | Charleston, SC
...Superstitions have been around for centuries and exist in every country and culture. This week Head2Head Trivia takes a look at a few of these superstitions. ...
The Questions...
... In Japan people believe you should never sleep in this direction because buried bodies are laid to rest in the same way.
Answer: North

[What is the rest of the story on this "burial" superstition in cremation-only Japan?]

[Charles]

Hmmm.. When I was an exchange student living in a Tenri dojo, I immediately offended the host family by placing my pillow at the wrong end of the bed. I don't recall if this position was feet-north or feet-south, I didn't really care about their silly superstition. I only vaguely recall the reasoning, something about it being improper to lay with your feet facing one of the gods that resides at one of the compass points. Of course, the Tenri people are nutters, so this might just be one of their nutty supersitions, not a general Japanese one.

[Taro Toporific]

Hmmm.. I only vaguely recall the reasoning, something about it being improper to lay with your feet facing one of the gods that resides at one of the compass points.

I have the same vague memory about sleeping direction in Japan. I seem to leave everyone with their mouths hanging open when I told them in many Native America tribes sleeping with your head pointing north is supposed to give you a better sense of direction. That is, if always sleep in that direction you'll have a better idea where north is.

Bingo! Mrs T says it's called 北]kita-makura [/I](north pillow) and it's bad juju since dead bodies before cremation are laid out that way.

[cenic]

burial superstitions, like mizuko kuyo. I love me some water babies. on a side, takashi miike's film for US cable network Showtime will not be shown because if its water baby content, so I guess it isn't just the Japanese that are afraid of abortions.

[ichigo partygirl]

Same sorta host family experience for me. i asked to change my room around and they agreed but got very upset at the placement of the bed, and i was told to change it to face another way. I guess it must have been because of that, but at the time they sad it was bad luck to sleep that way.