Tokyo Weekender - October 2017
A day in the life of a geisha. Find your perfect Kyushu. Plus Q&A with anime director Keiichi Hara, are robots taking our jobs?, Explore Japanese cuisine at GINZA SIX, and Tsukuda guide
A day in the life of a geisha. Find your perfect Kyushu. Plus Q&A with anime director Keiichi Hara, are robots taking our jobs?, Explore Japanese cuisine at GINZA SIX, and Tsukuda guide
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Not quite yet, but they are filling<br />
in a few gaps, from hotel staff to<br />
Buddhist monks. We take a look<br />
at some of the positions currently<br />
held by humanoids in Japan<br />
Words by Matthew Hernon<br />
In 1970 Japanese robotics professor Masahiro Mori identified<br />
the concept of “Bukimi no Tani Gensho,” which became<br />
known in English as "The Uncanny Valley." His hypothesis<br />
stated that the anthropomorphism of robots was appealing<br />
up to the point where they become too human-like, at<br />
which stage our feelings change to those of revulsion.<br />
Osaka University professor and roboticist Hiroshi<br />
Ishiguro's 2015 creation Erica could be cited as an example.<br />
The incredibly realistic-looking humanoid – which has sat<br />
through numerous press conferences answering journalists’<br />
questions, and can simulate human expressions – has been<br />
described as the "most beautiful," and "the creepiest," robot<br />
ever made.<br />
Whichever side of the fence you sit on, there is no doubt<br />
that for some people Mori's theory rings true. Another issue<br />
is the fear that robots could make people redundant in the<br />
future. According to studies by data analysis firm Nomura<br />
Research Institute (NRI), around half of the jobs in Japan<br />
could be done by artificial intelligence within 20 years.<br />
While that may sound unnerving, in a country with an aging<br />
population and a shrinking workforce would it really be<br />
such a terrible thing?<br />
The government here certainly doesn't think so. In<br />
2015 the Robot Revolution Initiative Council was set up in<br />
an effort to take robotics to another level. Since then we've<br />
seen a growing number of Japanese robots making headlines<br />
for their contributions to the service industry. In many<br />
cases companies are using them more as public relations<br />
tools than anything else, but it's still interesting to see the<br />
progress that's being made. So what kind of jobs are they<br />
currently doing? Here's a look at a few of the more intriguing<br />
ones, some more useful than others.<br />
HOTEL STAFF<br />
A couple of months after the Robot Initiative Council was<br />
launched, Henn-na (Weird) Hotel opened to much fanfare<br />
in Nagasaki. It is the world's first hotel to be staffed mostly<br />
by robots. On the reception desk, there are two multilingual<br />
dinosaurs and a realistic-looking female humanoid with<br />
eyelashes to greet customers and confirm bookings<br />
(pictured right). If you are in the luxury wing an<br />
incredibly slow-moving porter robot will then<br />
carry your bags to the room while playing mu-