[The need for death education]

"Death Education" is at the same time "Life Education." For many years I have endeavored to create an awareness of the need for death education in Japan. In this paper I would like to stress the necessity of death education for the following three groups. 1. For medical personnel. Three objectives of death education: 1) Learn to understand the fears and anxieties of the patients facing death and try to reduce their excessive fears and anxieties. 2) Familiarize yourself with the ethical issues related to terminal care and try to establish a warm relationship based on trust and continue communication with the dying patient till the end. 2. For patients. 1) Be aware that the time of your life is limited and try to discover the preciousness of the remaining time. Meditate on the uniqueness of your own death. 2) Finish your unfinished business, reevaluate your human relationships and benefit from a life review therapy. 3) Remove the taboo on death, arrange your own funeral and consider the possibility of another life after death. 3. For the patient's family and friends. 1) Continue warm communication with the dying patient till the end. 2) Prepare for your own bereavement and grief. 3) Try to make your own grief process an opportunity for personal growth. When a cure is no longer possible for a dying patient, the focus of our endeavors should be loving care of the person. Death education can help us to provide better terminal care during the final stage of life.