Trends in Japan - CScout Japan Blog » Japanese graves use technology for limited space

Japanese graves use technology for limited space

Written by: Michael Keferl on August 18, 2008 at 1:45 am | In Technology & Gadget Trends |

Now that the Bon Festival week of holidays is wrapping up, millions of Japanese are returning from some much needed rest and relaxation back in their hometowns. Since O-Bon is traditionally for ancestor worship, many also take the time to visit the graves of their dead family members and tend to burial plots like the one below.

japanese grave burial plot

Previously we broke the story about Japanese gravestones integrating QR Codes into their burial plots, but most Japanese in the cities cannot afford the $20k (or more) it would take to buy a plot of land.

To solve this problem, Nichiryoku has created an interactive family plot that fuses technology with the traditional. The cremated remains of your loved ones are stored in a personal sealed box which is kept in an underground vault. When you wish to access the box you scan an RFID card which then tells the system to bring up your box and place it in the prayer area.

japanese high tech rfid graves 2

Check out the videos for a better idea. Sorry for not translating, but the visuals should give you the idea. In the video on the right, the woman is visiting her father (speaking from beyond the grave) who is surprised that she came. However, since he’s “close to the train station” she said it’s no problem!

Judging from Nichoryoku’s site, building construction is an important factor for those seeking to inter themselves for the afterlife. You can see detailed plans and photos of this concrete and steel ancestral bunker to put your mind at ease. Perhaps ironically, it’s built far stronger than most homes where the living wait for the next big earthquake!

japanese high tech rfid graves 1

With Japan’s aging society there are more and more funerals every day, and limited space options are bring out lots of creative solutions to this problem. As depressing as it is, death is a big business these days in Japan. Again, the innovative Japanese spirit shines, albeit in a way that only works in Japan (for now).

Tags: Aging Society, Graves, Innovations, QR Codes, RFID
Category: Technology & Gadget Trends
Other categories: Marketing & Ad Trends, Fashion & Lifestyle Trends

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Pingback by GEARFUSE » High-Tech Japanese Graves Makes Mourning Your Loved Ones Easy! — August 18, 2008 #
Though a bit morbid, this is actually a practical solution to a real problem, and it kind or reminds me of Japan’s slender revolving vertical parking garages

Comment by Ichiro — August 18, 2008 #
[...] Lähde [Killan-Nakamura] [...]

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Pingback by News 4 Geeks » Automated Japanese Mausoleum Delivers Loved Ones While You Wait [RFID Tomb] — August 18, 2008 #
Japanese Graves Make Mourning Loved Ones Easy …

Burial plot prices are skyrocketing in Japanese cities, so one company built a facility that uses RFID technology to help store the dead. At Nichiryoku, mourners visit a prayer area where they swipe RFID cards to have the cremated remains of the…

Trackback by picturephoning.com — August 18, 2008 #
Pay as you Urn: Graves get Oyster style RFID chips in Japan…

Dying is an expensive business. No longer do you just grab the nearest incinerator or chuck a box in the ground, you’ve got burial plots, premium coffins and headstones to purchase. Indeed the expense caused by a death is almost equal to that of a m…

Trackback by Shiny Shiny — August 19, 2008 #
[...] [Trends in Japan] [...]

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Pingback by Cementerio japonés optimiza el espacio con tecnología - FayerWayer — August 19, 2008 #
[...] Japanese graves use technology for limited space (Trends in [...]

Pingback by Tecnologia All-In-One Blogs » Blog Archive » Cementerio japonés optimiza el espacio con tecnología — August 19, 2008 #
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[...] Via Trends in Japan. [...]

Pingback by Store the dead in automated warehouses — August 21, 2008 #
[...] [Via CScout] [...]

Pingback by RFID-activated retrieval system brings urns up for viewing | Gadgetorium! — August 28, 2008 #
Wow, I’ll never be able to listen to Della Reese’s hit 1959 recording of “Don’t You Know” quite the same way ever again…

Comment by DenhamSpringsLA — August 30, 2008 #
[...] This one’s a bit morbid, but the technology behind it all is actually quite interesting. Japan’s own Nichiryoku has evidently created a unique urn retrieval system that enables family members with deceased loved ones to return to a reverent storage facility, swipe an RFID card, and watch their late mother / father / etc. emerge from the underground for viewing. Aside from saving space and money, this also provides mourning kin with a sense of security, as we’re told that the urns are kept where even minor acts of God won’t disturb them. Check out a demonstrative video just after the break. [From: Ryobo via CScout] [...]

Pingback by RFID System Brings Urns Up for Viewing | Sourfizz — September 13, 2008 #