Caoxian county, a little-known inland county in East China’s Shandong Province has become China’s latest internet fad for making 90 percent of all coffins sold in Japan. Unlike traditional coffins, those made in Caoxian county come in a range of colors including red, blue, green, white and black. Some coffins have unique themes, such as the cherry blossom pattern coffin and the wisteria pattern coffin with four sides woven by a white lace.
Li Ruqi, a manager with Yunlong Woodcarving told the Global Times they exported 400,000 sets of coffins to Japan in 2020, and the factory is able to produce two coffins every minute. In total, his companies have exported 3 million sets of coffins to Japan in the past two decades, accounting for a quarter of the Japanese market.