Buddhist Memorial Service Offering (Ofuse) Calculator
Select the type of Buddhist memorial service (49th-day, 1st anniversary, etc.) and the venue to instantly estimate the ofuse (monetary offering) for the priest, plus the gozenryou and okurumadai fees.
Ofuse estimate by type of memorial service
| Memorial service | Ofuse estimate |
|---|---|
| Shonanoka (初七日, 7th day) | 30,000〜50,000 yen |
| Shijukunichi (四十九日, 49th day) | 30,000〜50,000 yen |
| Isshuki (一周忌, 1st anniversary) | 30,000〜50,000 yen |
| Sankaiki (三回忌, 2 years) | 10,000〜30,000 yen |
| Nanakaiki (七回忌, 6 years) | 10,000〜30,000 yen |
| Jusankaiki (十三回忌, 12 years) | 10,000〜30,000 yen |
| Jushichikaiki (十七回忌, 16 years) | 10,000〜30,000 yen |
| Nijusankaiki (二十三回忌, 22 years) | 10,000〜30,000 yen |
| Sanjusankaiki (三十三回忌, 32 years) | 10,000〜30,000 yen |
Gozenryou & okurumadai estimate (when the venue is not the temple)
| Gozenryou | 5,000〜10,000 yen |
|---|---|
| Okurumadai | 5,000〜10,000 yen |
What is the ofuse calculator?
Ofuse (お布施) is the monetary offering given to a Buddhist priest in gratitude for chanting sutras at a memorial service such as the 49th-day service, the 1st anniversary, or the 2nd anniversary. There is no official price list for ofuse — families are often simply told to give "whatever feels right" — which leaves first-time hosts unsure how much to prepare. Amounts vary widely by region, temple, and school, but a commonly shared guideline suggests 30,000–50,000 yen for the shonanoka, 49th-day, and 1st-anniversary services, and 10,000–30,000 yen for later memorial services from the 2nd anniversary onward.
This tool lets you select the type of memorial service and the venue (temple, home, or hall) to instantly see the ofuse estimate, plus — when the venue is not the priest's own temple — the gozenryou (a fee in lieu of a shared meal the priest does not attend) and okurumadai (a transportation fee), along with the combined total estimate.
How to use the ofuse calculator
- Select the type of memorial service Choose the upcoming service, such as the 49th-day or 1st-anniversary memorial.
- Select the venue Choose whether the service will be held at the temple, at home, or at a hall.
- Review the estimated amounts The ofuse estimate is shown, along with the gozenryou and okurumadai estimates and the combined total when the venue is not the temple.
Tips for getting more out of it
- There is no fixed amount for ofuse — it is customary to give "whatever feels right." If you are unsure, it is not considered impolite to ask your family temple directly for a rough guideline.
- Ofuse is traditionally not handed over directly. It is placed on a small tray (kitte-bon) or wrapped in a fukusa cloth before being presented.
- Gozenryou and okurumadai are customarily placed in separate envelopes from the ofuse itself, labeled "Gozenryou" and "Okurumadai" respectively.
- When multiple services are held together on the same day (for example, the 49th-day service combined with the interment), it is customary to combine the ofuse for each service into a single offering.
When this calculator helps
Preparing as a first-time host
Get a rough sense of the expected amount before hosting your first 49th-day or 1st-anniversary service.
Checking whether gozenryou/okurumadai apply after a venue change
Avoid overlooking that moving the venue to home or a hall introduces the gozenryou and okurumadai fees that a temple venue does not require.
Adjusting expectations as later memorials approach
See how the typical ofuse estimate decreases from the 2nd anniversary onward compared with the earlier services.
Ofuse terms explained
- Ofuse (お布施)
- The monetary offering given to a Buddhist priest in gratitude for officiating a memorial service. The term originally refers to the Buddhist practice of giving without expecting anything in return.
- Gozenryou (御膳料)
- A fee given in lieu of a shared meal (otoki) when the priest does not join the meal held after the service.
- Okurumadai (お車代)
- A transportation fee given when the priest travels to a venue other than their own temple, such as a home or a hall.
- Seshu (施主)
- The person who hosts the memorial service and bears the cost of the ofuse and related fees — usually the same person who served as chief mourner at the funeral.
- Otoki (お斎)
- The shared meal held after a memorial service to thank the attendees and the officiating priest.
Frequently asked questions
Side Note — why does ofuse have a "going rate" at all?
Ofuse is, in principle, an act of dana (giving) in Buddhist practice — offered freely, without expecting anything in return. Under that principle, it seems odd that a "going rate" would exist at all. Yet in practice, many temples have a customary range that functions much like one. This is generally understood as a long-standing compromise between the practical need to fund a temple's operations and a priest's livelihood, and the religious ideal of unconditional giving.
There is also a reason ofuse tends to decrease from the 2nd anniversary onward. As the years pass, memorial services are typically scaled down and the circle of invited relatives narrows, and the customary ofuse amount is generally understood to shrink alongside that smaller scale.
The custom of gozenryou traces back to the idea that inviting the priest to the shared meal after a service was originally the proper way to show hospitality. When the priest's schedule does not allow them to join that meal, offering money in place of the meal they would otherwise have shared is said to be how the gozenryou custom began.