Super Terrific Japanese Thing: Gravescrapers

Hmm. Maybe that’s not the right word. Skygraves? Grave-skyscapers? One tall building that houses countless dead people, all of which can be accessed kind of a like a New York City parking lot, except instead of a surly valet bringing down your car, a robot bring the ashes of your loved ones. Maybe I’m not explaining this very well. Let me let Japan Sugoi do it:

Japan is a densely populated, mountainous country with a fast aging population. There is a shortage of final resting places, especially in the big cities such as Tokyo where burial plots can cost more than US$100,000.

Japanese company Nichiryoku has created an interactive family plot that fuses technology with the traditional – multi-story high tech graveyards. Inside the building 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.

You know, this is actually a great idea. Saves space, give people a place to mourn/honor their loved ones without have to store ashes in their homes. But it’s still a little creepy. I mean, in a way, Japan has finally made a vending machine full of dead people. I guess we all knew it would happen eventually.