Living together in the same cave - Kairodoketsu

Japanese: 偕老同穴 - かいろうどうけつ

To grow old together and to be buried in the same hole when you die. A husband and wife staying together until the end. A metaphor for the strength of a marriage bond.

[Usage] - A promise.

[Example] The lady with whom my husband has vowed to live together has a big, perfectly round bald spot in the center of her head. [Natsume Soseki *I Am a Cat｜1905-06]

[Example] They say that parents, siblings, and wives should all be buried together in the same cave, but this is not that kind of wife. [Koji Uno * The World of Pain | 1918-21]

[Example] Therefore, I think that the oppressive arranged marriages that have been common up until now are no good, but if you listen to all sides and find that this is a good match, then I think that the love that develops from that will lead to a happy life until the end, with a vow to grow old together in the same place. [Ichizo Kobayashi * Takarazuka Upbringing Notes | 1955]

[Explanation] Wedding reception speeches are generally made by stringing together set phrases. One example is "She is a brilliant and talented woman who graduated from XX University with excellent grades." But did she really get such good grades?
Using a four-character idiom, "You two are ratio fire Wings often Ream Ren Reason the law of nature "Hiyoku Renri" is a metaphor for a happy couple, as when two birds fly side by side, or when the branches of two different trees join at the end.
"We'll grow old together" is the ultimate phrase to use at wedding receptions. Together friend "We will grow old together and share the same grave." Both "kairo" and "do-tsuku" come from a poem in the Book of Documents. Since it means to grow old together and share the same grave, the vow of growing old together and sharing the same grave is truly an eternal vow.
I saw some opinions online that said it's unnecessary to use it in a speech. It certainly does seem old-fashioned.
Nowadays, more and more people are deciding how they want to end their lives. Some people choose to have their ashes scattered. Even couples who love each other do not necessarily end up aging together in the same grave.

Source: Dictionary of Four-character Idioms About Dictionary of Four-character Idioms Information

Japanese:

生きてはともに老い、死んでは同じ穴に葬られること。夫婦が、最後まで連れそいとげること。夫婦の契りのかたいことのたとえ。

[活用] ―の契り。

[使用例] 主人が偕老同穴を契った夫人の脳天の真中には真丸な大きな禿がある［夏目漱石＊吾輩は猫である｜1905～06］

[使用例] 親でも兄弟でも女房、偕老同穴といいますが、その女房でもないですぞ［宇野浩二＊苦の世界｜1918～21］

[使用例] だから、今までよくあった圧制的な見合結婚はいけないが、あらゆる方面で聞きあわして、これならいい、いわゆる良縁だというのであれば、その上に生ずる愛情は、偕老同穴の契りを結ぶ人生の最後まで円満に行くものだと思っている［小林一三＊宝塚生い立ちの記｜1955］

[解説] 結婚披露宴のスピーチは、決まり文句をつないで作ることが一般的です。「○○大学を優秀な成績で卒業された秀才・才媛」というのもその例。本当にそんな成績だったのでしょうか。
　四字熟語を使って「おふたりは比ひ翼よく連れん理りの契りを結ばれ」などとも言います。「比翼連理」は、二羽の鳥が翼を並べて飛び、別々の木の枝が末で一本になること。仲のいい夫婦のたとえです。
　「偕老同穴」は、披露宴で使われる文句の極めつけです。「偕ともに老い、穴を同じゅうす」と読みます。「偕老」も「同穴」も、出典は「書経」の詩。同じ墓穴に入るまで、というのですから、偕老同穴の契りは、まさしく永遠の契りです。
　スピーチで使うのはよけいなお世話だ、という趣旨の意見をネットで見ました。たしかに、古風な感じはします。
　今では、人生の終わり方を自分で決める人も増えました。散骨を希望する人もいます。愛し合う夫婦でも、必ずしも偕老同穴になるとは限りません。

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