A while back, we took a look at the top 20 anime that fans want to be watching as they leave the mortal realm. But what if it’s not enough to spend the last moment of your life watching your favorite series?
Then maybe what you need is a way to express your love of Japanese animation from beyond the grave…and through the grave, for that matter, with an anime tombstone like the one this craftsman made.
Most graves in Japan are located on the grounds of a temple, but the gravestone itself is generally purchased off-site from a stonemason, many of whom specialize in that particular item. It might sound like a decidedly morbid line of work, but such stonemasons dot the Japanese commercial landscape. In front of workshops or sales offices you’ll usually find not only a collection of solemn samples, but also a few lighthearted pieces of stone statuary that show off the artists’ skills.
Twitter user and gravestone mason Hide was recently in the process of rotating out some of his display pieces. Among those he intended to toss was the stone pictured below, which featured some elegant marbling and smooth detailing around its incense holder.
But since he was going to be getting rid of it anyway, Hide decided to first have a little fun and make something truly unique: a gravestone decorated with the cast of smash-hit idol anime Love Live!
仕事終了!作業場の展示墓石処分する前にちょっと痛墓石的なの造って(彫って)みたw
— 😈ひで😈 (@t_hide3) July 4, 2015
ちょっとの間作業場の前に展示しとこぉかな♪彫面に白入れてますw pic.twitter.com/kArNaEHtDU
Hide is pleased enough with his handiwork that he’s reconsidering his initial plan to throw out the gravestone, and muses that he might put it back in the display area for a while. He’s also coined the term itahakaishi, or “painfully nerdy gravestone,” adding to the crowing ita lexicon that also includes itasha cars, itachoko chocolates, and itaita snowboards.
While the Love Live! gravestone isn’t part of Hide’s normal product lineup, a certain amount of customization goes into every customer’s order, and as long as you’re willing to pay him for his work, we can’t imagine he’d turn down your request for an itahakaishi of your own. Just be aware that in Japan, gravestones are generally shared by all generations of the same family, so before you call Hide up, you might want to talk to your relatives and make sure you’re all fans of the same anime, and also ideally that you agree on who the best girl is.
Source: Jin, Twitter/@t_hide3

A stone-engraver impresses with Love Live gravestones and wine bottles 【Photos】
Anime fan shows his hatred for Love Live! by dragging anime idol behind his itasha car
Love Live! poster showing anime schoolgirl in see-through skirt divides public opinion in Japan
Studio Ghibli releases new Kiki’s Delivery Service Jiji music box for anime fans
Japan’s new beer glass is designed to force you to drink…water [Video]
This beautiful rural Japan river is a great alternative to touristy summer retreats [Photos]
Are Japan’s room-temperature curry packets the boxed lunch heroes we’ve been looking for? [Taste test]
Studio Ghibli theme park announces new expansion saluting a previously off-limits anime
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Police ask Kumamoto residents to not get blackout drunk as much during earthquake relief efforts
Japanese convenience store food gets turned into hyper-realistic stationery you can peel open
Tokyo is getting a branch of famous Los Angeles hot dog chain Pink’s with Japan-exclusive items
Kumamoto earthquake may have created Japan’s newest hot spring inside flooded restaurant [Video]
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
Anime fan in Japan arrested for ordering and cancelling over 4.3 billion yen in anime merch
Starbucks Japan teams up with Traveler’s Company for new stationery and goods collection
Japanese vending machine sells freshly squeezed lemon juice with a futuristic light show
Beautiful Totoro bonsai figure needs no watering, makes soothing rain showers whenever you want
End of a manga era as Weekly Shonen Jump’s circulation drops under one million
Kochia calling: Right now is a great off-season season to visit this beautiful Japanese park
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Cup Noodle unveils first-ever cold-water instant ramen in Japan
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Love Live otaku takes up two seats on bus for himself, four for his anime plushie crushes