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Corpse ride: Kanagawa funeral homes used regular vehicles as hearses

E-Hall in Ebina City
E-Hall in Ebina City is one of five funeral homes accused of using regular vehicles to move corpses (TBS News)

KANAGAWA (TR) – Employees at funeral homes in Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyo have been sent to prosecutors for allegedly using conventional passenger vehicles to serve as hearses, reports TBS News (May 23).

According to the indictments, five companies, including E-Hall in Ebina City, Kanagawa, used vehicles that were not licensed as hearses with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to transport corpses in late 2015.

A total of five employees at the companies have been sent to prosecutors. Four persons, including a manager at E-Hall, admit to the allegations while the fifth employee denies the charges.

This is the second such case ever recorded in Japan. The matter came to light three years ago when police were tipped off about regular vehicles being used to transport corpses by a funeral home in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa.