This doesn't deserve the danger tag. In fact, it shows a new and interesting take on yukkuri-human relationships.
Anko1472: Chrysanthemum is offered to the Paste (I think)
The story begins with a girl looking at a very well-behaved gold badge Reimu, and asks the staff about the chrysanthemum flower mark on the price tag. He explains that it's an indication of the yukkuri's quality, and that the Reimu is REALLY good.
It then cuts to a scene of a big Reimu lying on a bed, with Anon and her child, a crying Reimu, watching her. She has reached the end of her natural lifespan after six years, and they're there to see her off. Reimu expresses her thanks to Anon, as well as asking them to look after each other, before she finally dies, satisfied. "Nothing... else... want to... do easy..." (First time EVER!)
The next day, Anon and the daughter Reimu bring Reimu's dead body in a wooden box to the yukkuri funeral home, to perform Reimu's last rites. As he leaves daughter Reimu with the body, Anon meets a Miss and her Marisa, who was also one of Reimu's children. He hasn't seen them since Marisa got married, but they've come to pay their respects too. Marisa used to be a bed wetter, but stopped because of Reimu's comforting. However, the shock of Reimu's death reawoke that habit, but Miss says that Marisa is otherwise very well-behaved
Reimu had three children. One was Anon's Reimu, who had a mate Chen with another owner, and though they only meet up once a week, they're happy. Another is Marisa, and the third is another Reimu, who was born without the ability to have children in any way. She blamed Reimu a lot for that, but Reimu continued to care and worry for her child no matter what happened, even after that Reimu was adopted.
Just as Anon wonders if that Reimu would show up, she does. She has visited her mother already, and cries to Anon about having separated from her mother on bad terms. Anon tells her that Reimu never blamed her at all, in fact, she fiercely spoke up for her daugther in front of Anon when he thought she was scum. Comforted, the second daughter Reimu leaves to rejoin her owner.
Later, Chen's owner shows up, and the ceremony begins shortly afterwards. There's perfume and offerings, along with chrysanthemums around Reimu's picture, and a Byakuren starts by reading her scripture. Daughter Reimu cries, and Anon gives her a handkerchief. When the reading is over, Byakuren speaks of Reimu's deeds, and they move on to the final part of the ceremony.
They look at the remains of Reimu, then eat a little of her paste before putting the paste into a casket, even Anon. None of the yukkuris say 'Happiness', but eat sadly, taking the memory of Reimu into them (possibly literally and figuratively). Anon recalls his time with Reimu, how she encountered all sorts of funny events when she tried to help or do something.
He also remembers the time after she and her mate Marisa had their children; Marisa was holding a teacup to catch the children, while Anon had a catcher's mitt. But after the children were born, scum yukkuris invaded, and Marisa took it easy forever fighting them off. However, Reimu said this: "Reimu isn't a single mother! Reimu is Marisa's wife until Reimu takes it easy forever!!! And Reimu isn't raising little ones alone!!! Reimu will work hard together with Mister!!! Reimu is in your care, Mister!!!" (Another first time ever)
Finally, all that's left is Reimu's ribbon and paste core. A Shou divides the paste core into three, and Reimu's children eat them, crying loudly. Shou then gives Anon a red chrysanthemum, and he puts it into the casket with Reimu's ribbon. The casket is then lowered into a grave and closed, and the second daughter Reimu wishes her mother an easy sleep.
Anon thanks Reimu and promises not to forget her even if he dies, and asks her to watch over him and her family. He then bids her farewell.
EXTRA A girl student asks her senior about the chrysanthemum marking, and he explains that it refers to paste quality, for yukkuris that have been to a yukkuri funeral. This is because yukkuri funerals are only held for extremely high quality yukkuris, and the paste can be passed on. He comments that humans want to respect history.
JusticeItEasy said: That was a touching story. . .but after playing Dead Island and learning the origin of the Zombie Virus. . .can't help but be squicked or worried about this "ceremony for the dead".
There, the comment was deleted, stop whining now, not my fault if you lack the capacity of separating your enjoyment of a story with your agreement or disagreement of the comments related to it.
I still don't like the Ceremony, the story was moving and great, but that ceremony is squicktastic and I would dare to say uncalled for.
Texas I think you should also delete your comment for the sake of their "sensibility".
I know they're pastries, but eating the recently deceased at their funeral is really goofy and out of place. I mean they just ate the thing's whole body then wish it an "easy sleep"? Yeah, rest in peace in my stomach as I convert you into poo.
Actually funeral cannibalism has a long history among humans. For example, every tribe of native americans native to the South Texas/ North-East Mexico region, such at the Choahulitechans, Tonkawas, and such (the apaches and commanches were late comers) practiced some form of eating their dead. In fact, such societies looked upon burial funerals as outright disrespectful ("So instead of taking them back into the tribe you dump them into a hole to be eaten by worms and bugs?"), etc.
Adding on to what TexasEasy said, it make's even more sense for yukkuri's considering they are actually food items... it's easy enough to see some sort of dead-eating ceremony existing.
Dunno, I would think it's more respectful to bury, since it also means you are "returning" to mother earth and giving back all the good it gave you, while eating your dead is like hogging up, aside of being squicky and even unhealthy (there are diseases product of such ceremonies.)
Of Course, I'm an Advocate of cremation and burying or spreading the ashes back to the soil, clean, healthy and return some of yourself to earth. Considering the whole chrysanthemums theme in this story, I think it would had been better to cremate reimu and spread her ashes on a garden with those flowers!
Explosion said: Ancient civilizations also used to murder children and tear out people's hearts out for better crop harvests. Just because people used to do something doesn't mean it was right or that it even worked.
When they're living in one of the most nutrient poor inhabited areas of the planet, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Secondly, I'm hesitant to refer to cultures that existed as recently as 130 years ago "ancient."
The thing is, cannibalism among yukkuris is so widespread it's unfeasible to remove; the best you can do is codify it. Ritualistic funeral all-you-can-eat is the least offensive form I can think of.