Japanese Hearses Are Quite Fascinating

Japanese hearses aren't all mobile Buddhist temples. Some are fairly modest affairs, but these gilded shrine-on-wheels below take the religious to their final resting places in serious style.

We're interested in the gilded temple version of the Japanese hearse, not the pedestrian. The cars are built from either high-end Japanese executive cars or imported American luxo-barges, the Lincoln Continental being surprisingly popular. The style of the decorations vary based on region, but over-the-top decorative shrines are the norm. Of the ways to go out, we're thinking this mixed with the desert firework canonstravaganza from Hunter S. Thompson's send off is the way to go. [Als Car Page]