In Tokyo, you can pay $13 to lie down in a coffin for 30 minutes. You get choices — open or closed, with music or in silence.

It’s called coffin meditation, and the woman who designed it said something that stays with me. She says she wants people to experience a death that can be reversed before they choose one that can’t.

It reminds me of a statistic I came across a while ago: Japan is the only wealthy nation where suicide is the leading cause of death for young people. And somebody’s response was to build a room where you could practice being gone — and then come back.

The Daily Note with James A. Brown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Recent editions:What Happens When America’s Small-Business Owners Retire?Michael B. Jordan and a sea of phonesMoviegoing Has Become an Elite ActivityWhat Happens When America’s Small-Business Owners Retire?Americans Are Buying Half the Movie Tickets They Used ToAre We Surrounded by Bad People?The Politicians Never PayScience Says Your Kindness Reaches People You’ll Never MeetScott Adams’ Bit Player Problem Explained

The best conversations are two-way streets. I want to hear from you.

* Email: [email protected]

* Call or Text: (585) 371-8865

* Leave a Voice Memo: thedailynote.net/contact

P.S. I tell stories on radio stations and online five days a week. You can find them on Substack, Apple, Spotify, Reddit, YouTube, Instagram, and wherever podcasts are available.

Sources:‘How I ended up in a coffin at a bar in Tokyo’

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesbrowntv.substack.com/subscribe