Japan Goes Viral For Automated Mummifcation Technology Or Is This Satire

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NEWS about AI and robots taking over our jobs is no longer news. Already there are automated waiters bringing food to your table or robot chefs that slice and dice better than an average human.
But some countries decide to take automation to the next level as can be seen in a recent video where a lady is being mummified by a robot.
Real or just pure satire? It isn’t easy to tell where Japan is concerned since quite a number of weird things originate from there.
But rest assured that there is someone, somewhere, out there who would engage a mummification service. 
It sure sparks joy, watching how efficiently the machine was at wrapping the petite lady up. Unsurprisingly, a good number of netizens were quick to point out that mummification was supposed to be used on the dead.
“This is what happens when your robotics department and funeral home collab,” said @HeinzEisenhart while @DingleberryBush said they are supposed to be dead.

Another remarked that the mummification was supposed to keep her fresh during shipping while netizen @DailyDrive2485 helpfully added that they had to put her organs in a claypot first.
Note that the ancient Egyptians would remove the organs of the deceased and place it inside canopic jars before mummification, hence the reference.
But we suppose the winning comment goes to @buniesinfernal:

The authenticity of the video is also being questioned by @EarthDetect who wondered if this was AI.
A quick search on the internet revealed no such mummification automation in Japan, but rather, Sokushinbutsu, aka living mummies. Sokushinbutsu refers to the ancient Buddhist practice of self-mummification, a process that begins while the monk is still alive.
It involves an extreme spiritual and physical discipline known as mokujikigyō, which translates to “tree-eating.” For about three years, monks would survive on food found in the mountains, pine needles, nuts, seeds, and tree resin, while maintaining an intense daily exercise routine.
During this time, monks would also drink small amounts of poisonous tea brewed from the sap of the urushi tree, a substance traditionally used to make lacquerware.
The toxin induced severe vomiting and dehydration, preventing internal decay and killing bacteria and maggots that might later cause the body to decompose.
When the monk felt spiritually ready, he would enter a small stone chamber, sit in the lotus position, and begin his final meditation. A bamboo tube provided air, and a bell was placed beside him. Each day, he would ring the bell to signal that he was still alive.
When the ringing stopped, followers would seal the tomb, marking the monk’s transition from life to death in a state of deep meditation.
Over time, the body would naturally mummify—skin, hair, and teeth remaining preserved without artificial methods. Several Sokushinbutsu monks, particularly in northern Japan, have been discovered centuries later, remarkably intact. They are now regarded as sacred figures, honored for their devotion and spiritual endurance.
Reading through the mummification process, we think we will just stick to the video and all the laughter we can derive from it. Thank you very much.— Focus Malaysia

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