How to Die in Japan, a one-woman show written and performed by the LA-based storyteller and comedian Miyo Yamauchi, is a dark comedy that explores funeral rites, traditions, and etiquette via a mixed-media approach combining animated short films (Michael D. Mortilla) with rich, oral storytelling.
With a 70-minute runtime, Yamauchi, with direction by Jane Morris, needs no extras as she commands the stage and seamlessly blends humor with drama to cover a rather sensitive subject: death, dying, and its effect on those still living.
Immediately, it’s clear that in Japan, funerals prioritize protocol and tradition over comfort as Yamauchi recalls her father’s funeral and the repetitive “sit-stand-sing” pattern that mourners were asked to perform. In a segment called “TPO” — short for time, place, and occasion — she monologues about the rigorous rules and regulations, from the proper attire to the avoidance of family secrets, humorously stating, “Don’t be an asshole and ask for a fork,” during a spiel about dining etiquette. The traditional Japanese attire Yamauchi is clad in enhances her enthusiastic recollection, allowing the audience to visualize the scene she’s intricately describing.
It’s a funeral fit for a man who was a victim of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, who “never let that stop him from looking sharp.” This ideology of being well-dressed at all times is one I could relate to as I thought of all the times I was told to “dress like I’m comfortable being buried in that outfit” by elder family members.
Yamauchi goes on to say, “Even in death, there’s a moving fee,” and she makes that clear as she details the costs and expenses that go into not just planning a funeral but all the things that come after, such as the post-funeral rites, burial plots, and cleaning out your loved ones’ belongings.
Here, the play shifts to a more somber note as the next death in the family is her mother’s, and despite a strained mother-daughter relationship, Yamauchi tells us, “it doesn’t make it any easier.”
This is a sentiment I can relate to. After all, it’s a running joke that Black families will eulogize you and, less than an hour later, be cracking jokes and line dancing while eating good food. There’s a common bond shared among people that transcends cultural barriers when it comes to generational trauma and familial taboos.
How to Die in Japan is a great reminder that death is the one guarantee in life; so, sometimes, it helps to laugh through the tears.
How to Die in Japan
By Miyo the Storyteller
Running Time: 75 minutes
Dates and Times:
- Sunday, July 12, 6:00 PM
- Saturday, July 18, 7:45 PM (masks required)
- Sunday, July 19, 6:45 PM
- Friday, July 24, 5:45 PM
- Friday, July 24, 8:15 PM
- Saturday, July 25 5:45 PM
Venue: Phoenix – UDC Mainstage Venue
Tickets: $15
More Info and Tickets
Genre: Comedy
Company based: Los Angeles
Website: miyo.net/how-to-die-in-japan
Directed by: Jane Morris
Playwright: Miyo Yamauchi
Performed by: Miyo
The complete 2026 District Fringe Festival lineup is online here.
The 2026 District Fringe Festival calendar is online here.
