Last December, a political speech from Japan went viral, and once again the world was reminded that they do things differently. The video showed Mizuho Umemura, a House of Councillors member from the populist Sanseito party, objecting to calls from Muslim residents that their burial options be expanded. Japan cremates its dead, and the prospect of burying dead bodies raises concerns over land constraints and groundwater contamination. Umemura said that Muslims settling in Japan should be told that if they die they can either be cremated or…
