expression, godan verb (-nu)
die a natural death; die in one's own bed
Idiomatic expression evoking the image of dying peacefully at home on a tatami mat, as opposed to a sudden or violent death elsewhere.
祖父は畳の上で死にたいと言っていた。
My grandfather said he wanted to die a natural death at home.
Many people think that dying in one's own bed is the happiest way to go.