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Life

Modern mourning at Japan's high-tech cemeteries

Pricey burial plots and busy lifestyles boost demand for automated cemeteries

Altars at the Tokyo Gobyo building are flanked by a tablet showing photos of the deceased and fresh flowers.   © Alexander Martin

TOKYO -- Expensive burial plots and changing lifestyles have seen more Japanese in big cities opting for cheaper, more convenient -- and automated -- alternatives to the traditional family tomb.

The Tokyo Gobyo is one such facility. The five-story building near Machiya station in the north of the capital is run by Komyoji, a Buddhist temple headquartered in western Japan's Gifu Prefecture.

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