In Japan, the robot isn't coming for your job; it's filling the one nobody wants (techcrunch.com) AI

Japan is accelerating “physical AI” not to replace jobs broadly, but to keep factories, warehouses, and other critical operations running as labor shortages worsen. Backed by government targets and investment, companies are moving from pilots to customer-funded deployments using more autonomous robotics software, orchestration, and integration across existing hardware. Industry sources say Japan’s strength in high-precision robotics components and control systems is a key advantage, with a hybrid ecosystem where incumbents scale while startups build perception and workflow capabilities.