Kofukuji temple in Isumi, Chibahas, east of Tokyo has performed funerals for owners to say goodbye to their robot dogs.Mourners, who have become deeply attached to their robot companions, attend the funerals because they believe their robots have a soul that needs to be put to rest. The funerals are performed for Sony"s AIBO robot.
Sony cancelled production of AIBOs in 2006 after selling around 150,000, and withdrew support for existing models. The owners, began sharing tips on how to care for their pets in the absence of official help.But many of the robot dogs "died" through lack of software updates.
Electronics repair company A FUN, which specialises in fixing vintage products, has sent off some 800 AIBOs this way in recent years at a centuries-old Buddhist temple. Bungen Oi, the priest at Kofukuji temple in Isumi, dismisses the idea that holding memorials for machines is absurd. "All things have a bit of soul" he said.
