Japan faces crematorium shortage

Japan's rapidly aging society is forecast to lead to shortfalls in young people, workers and tax revenues. Add to that another shortage: crematoria.

The number of people dying annually in Japan rose to 1.1 million in 2007, with nearly all of them cremated in accordance with Buddhist practices, according to the Health and Welfare Ministry.

However, the Nippon Foundation, a nonprofit philanthropic group, has come up with a unique idea: building "floating crematoria" ships that could incinerate remains at sea, bypassing the "not-in-my-backyard" syndrome and saving on real estate.