There are curious and almost surreal bans around the world (like chewing gum), but few are as unique as the ban on dying in Longyearbyen, Norway, and on the island of Itsukushima, Japan. In Longyearbyen, the law prevents burial due to the permafrost, which preserves bodies and can encourage pathogens, while in Itsukushima religious tradition prohibits birth and death to preserve spiritual purity. In both cases, however, there is no real legal prohibition: it is more about sanitary or ritual measures, transformed over time into viral curiosity, which have given rise to memes and fascinating stories about the bizarre “ban on dying”.
Longyearbyen, Norway
The city of Longyearbyen, located over 78° north latitude, is the most populous of the famous Svalbard Islands and is mainly known for being one of the northernmost population centers on the entire planet. The city includes just over 2000 inhabitants and was founded as an outpost for the exploitation of the rich local coal deposits. The territory is mainly characterized by permafrost, that condition in which the ground remains frozen all year round (or a good part of it) due to the extremely harsh climate.
The “ban on dying” is linked to this condition due to the impossibility of bodies to decompose: the very low temperatures and frozen soil, in addition to certainly making burial complex, attenuate bacterial metabolism and prevent microbial proliferation, drastically slowing down the process of organic decomposition and preserving any pathogens for a long time.
This led the local administration to opt for the transfer of the deceased to the mainland, in order to avoid the onset of epidemics and other health and hygiene problems due to the prolonged stay of the bodies on the island.
Miyajima (Itsukushima), Japan
The island of Miyajima, in Japan, is home to the famous Shinto shrine of Itsukushima which, among other things, has been part of the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1996. The place is famous in the eyes of the world above all because of the large red Torii, i.e. the sixteen meter high access portal to the sanctuary, which emerges from the sea waters and remains clearly visible even from a long distance.
The sanctuary is dedicated to the protective spirits of the sea and navigation and, although it has been renovated several times, it still retains its original 12th century architecture. According to tradition, it would not be allowed to be born and die on the island’s territory, as births and deaths are considered events that would lead to the contamination of the spiritual purity of the place.
What does the law say?
Despite the endless speculation on the web, we should underline that in both cases there is no real “ban on dying” established by the laws of local governments… Also because this would be as bizarre as it is, obviously, useless.
Currently, in Longyearbyen, given the particular environmental context, the law prohibits the burial of the deceased for logistical and health reasons, but it certainly does not prohibit its inhabitants from moving on to a better life. In Itsukushima, on the other hand, the “norm” is more of a tradition of a spiritual and religious nature, not codified in a real legal context currently in force. In these places, the “ban on dying” is therefore more of a meme that derives from extremely singular contexts and not from a real prohibition: no one can be prosecuted for the mere fact of having died in these places.
