B.S. Chamberlain skriver under upplagsordet funerals i sin Japanese Things (Tokyo, 1890): The Shinto coffin resembles that used in Europe. The Buddhist coffin is small and square, and the corpse is fitted in a squatting posture with the head bent to the knees/.../ Further outward and visible signs whereby to distinguish a Buddhist from a Shinto funeral, are, in the former, the bare shaven heads of the Buddhist priest and the dark blue coats of the coffin-bearers; in the latter, the plain white garb of the coffin-bearers, the Shinto priests' non-shaven heads and curved gauze caps, and the flags and branches of trees borne in the procession.
The use of large bouquets of flowers is common to both, and both religions have funeral services of great length and intricacy.
Wagner, Ulla bilddokumentation