IMS JAPAN
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Company

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IMS JAPAN Co., Ltd. was established in 1988 by the Alpha Club Group as Japan’s first company dedicated solely to embalming.
Since then, we have led the development of embalming in Japan as an industry pioneer.

Company

MESSAGE

Message: More beautiful,
more dignified funerals

IMS JAPAN Co., Ltd. was founded in 1988 to provide mortuary sanitation and preservation (embalming), which did not yet exist in Japan at the time. Today many embalmers work across the nationwide Alpha Club Group, which performed 16,824 cases in 2023; IMS JAPAN carried out 7,727 of those procedures in the same year.

Embalming is the practice of pursuing funeral aesthetics for a beautiful farewell and a dignified end of life through preservation, disinfection, maintenance, and restoration of the deceased. From a public health perspective, we firmly believe it is a highly appropriate means of protecting bereaved families and others from risks associated with deceased persons who may serve as vectors for various infectious diseases.

As funeral practices evolve alongside global trends, we remain committed to refining our skills so we can offer ever more beautiful and dignified services. We ask for your continued support.

With growing international mobility—more people on overseas assignment or travel, and more visitors to Japan—embalming also enables long-term preservation, restoration, and transport when tragedy strikes abroad or when a foreign national passes away in Japan, allowing funeral arrangements without being constrained by time.

IMS JAPAN Co., Ltd.
President and Representative Director
Hideo Kobayashi

COMPANY PROFILE

Company profile

Company name
IMS JAPAN Co., Ltd.
Address
333-0866 Japan — 3F, 5-17-3 Shiba, Kawaguchi City, Saitama
Phone
048-261-8501
Founded
1988
Representative
Hideo Kobayashi, President and Representative Director
Business
1. Funeral services (embalming, international repatriation)
Capital
¥91,500,000
Affiliations
Japan Funeral Service Association (IFSA)

EMBALMING CENTER

So every family can take the next step forward

We want as many people as possible to spend their final moments with loved ones in a way they can fully accept…
We operate seven embalming centers in Saitama Prefecture.
We also handle many international repatriations. Embassies and foreign nationals, please see our For embassies page.

We handle many international repatriations. Embassies and foreign nationals: please see our For embassies page.

For embassy

For embassies

Customer's voice

Testimonials

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048-261-8501 Hours: 9:00–18:00

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About us

Alpha Club Group, IMS JAPAN, and the history of embalming

In 1984, Alpha Club encountered embalming at a funeral business fair in the United States.
Four years later, the Alpha Club Group introduced embalming as it had long hoped to do.
IMS JAPAN has grown together with the history of embalming in Japan.

1988

HistoryJapan’s first embalming center opens

In 1988, the Alpha Club Group opened Japan’s first embalming center.

1988

History191 embalmings performed

That year, the embalming center in Kawaguchi, Saitama, performed embalming on 191 deceased persons.

1992

HistoryUtsunomiya center opens

The first embalming center in the Tochigi area opened.

1993

HistoryKoriyama center opens

The first embalming center in the Fukushima area opened.

1995

HistoryEmergency response: Great Hanshin–Awaji Earthquake

Embalming was performed on deceased persons who required long-term preservation for identification.

2000

HistoryAnnual embalmings exceed 10,000

2002

HistoryEmbalmer training course launched

IFSA launched the “Embalmer Training Course.”

2003

HistoryNPA budgets post–forensic autopsy restoration

The National Police Agency secured budget for restoration after forensic autopsies, starting in Hokkaido and Saitama.

2011

HistoryEmbalming during the Great East Japan Earthquake

Great East Japan Earthquake (March 11). IFSA dispatched eight embalmers to Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture.

2018

HistoryGrief care added to the role of embalming

The first Diet members’ study session was held at a House of Representatives building; IFSA added grief care to the stated role of embalming.

2020

HistoryGrowing demand year on year

Since 2020, the group has performed approximately 15,000 embalmings annually.

As demand has risen, we have expanded our network and now operate 21 facilities, centered on the Kanto and Tohoku regions.

2021

HistoryRecruitment begins for embalmers as reserve SDF enlisted personnel

Recognizing embalmers’ contributions during the Hanshin–Awaji and Great East Japan disasters, recruitment began for qualified embalmers to serve as reserve Self-Defense Force enlisted personnel in preparation for large-scale emergencies.