Robots are no longer science fiction. Physical AI is bringing intelligent machines into the real world — schools, hospitals, workplaces, public spaces and our everyday lives.
Japan has long been considered one of the world's most robot-friendly societies. From manga and anime to decades of robotics innovation, Japan has developed a unique relationship with machines that can interact with, assist and increasingly learn from humans.
But are we really ready?
As robots become more capable, new questions are emerging: What do robots actually see and know about us? How should we think about privacy and data collection? Why do humans become emotionally attached to machines? And how much does Japan's culture shape our acceptance of robots in everyday life?
This panel brings together experts from robotics, AI, engineering and business to explore the current state of Physical AI in Japan — and what needs to happen before intelligent robots can truly become part of society.
The discussion will explore three critical dimensions: Privacy, Emotional Connection and Cultural Acceptance, while looking at deployments that have been made across education, healthcare, elderly care, hospitality, smart buildings, workplaces and other business sectors.
But this is not only a conversation about technology and society. We’ll also explore the future of robotics and Physical AI as a business opportunity: Where are the emerging opportunities? Which industries could be transformed? What new products, services, business models and careers could emerge? And what will companies need to do to prepare for a world where intelligent machines increasingly operate alongside humans?
We’ll look ahead at what Japan is betting on, where the biggest gaps remain, and what the rise of Physical AI could mean for engineers, businesses and society.
🎙️ MODERATORS:
- Mike SUDANO | Senior Robotics Operations Engineer at Woven By Toyota - Tomoya MAEHARA | Independant Software Engineer
🎙️ SPEAKERS:
- Yuki BECK | Director, Product Strategy & Engineering at 4th.ai / Smart Implement - Rikiya YAMAMOTO | Representative Director at RobotMateHub - Rang LUO | Country Manager at BUTLR
📍 LOCATION | VENUE:
Minato City Industry Promotion Center Fudanotsuji Square, 11F, 5-36-4 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0014, Japan Google Map
HirePlanner is an all-in-one recruiting solution for companies hiring in Japan. It offers a comprehensive suite of HR tech software, including a bilingual Applicant Tracking System (ATS), online job advertising services across multiple job sites in Japan, an agency management system, employer branding consulting, and social media and video content production services. Additionally, HirePlanner regularly organizes tech meetups, networking and career events in Tokyo to help companies connect with and attract bilingual professionals. https://www.hireplanner.com
イベントスポンサー / MAIN EVENT SPONSOR:
Trend Micro Japan Logo
Trend Micro, a global leader in cybersecurity, is working to realize a world where digital information can be safely exchanged. Our cybersecurity platform is driven by decades of security findings, international threat research, and endless innovation. It protects more than 500,000 organizations and more than 250 million individual users in various environments such as the cloud, network devices, and endpoints.
Our platform, which leads the industry in cybersecurity and cloud security for companies, realizes rapid detection and response by aggregating and visualizing information about the entire environment. In addition, it has a number of advanced and powerful threat defense technologies optimized for environments such as AWS, Microsoft, and Google.
Minato City Industry Promotion Center
Minato City Industry Promotion Center (港区立産業振興センター)
The Minato City Industry Promotion Center (港区立産業振興センター) is Minato City’s flagship innovation and business support hub, dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship, accelerating business growth, and connecting companies, talent, and community through collaboration and innovation. Located in the heart of Minato-ku, the center provides startups, entrepreneurs, and established companies with access to coworking spaces, business support services, event facilities, and collaborative programs designed to encourage innovation, cross-sector partnerships, and sustainable economic development. https://minato-sansin.com/
Tokyo Metropolitan Government
For Tokyo to foster more startups that can succeed on the global stage, it is essential to attract talent, entrepreneurs, and investment from around the world. This means creating more opportunities for people to connect and collaborate in English, helping to break down the language barrier and strengthen Tokyo’s global business and innovation community.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is already advancing a range of initiatives to support this goal, including SusHi Tech Tokyo, one of Asia’s largest global innovation conferences. In addition, through its Global Exchange Promotion Program, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government works with private-sector organizations to support Hireplanner's events and initiatives that bring international business professionals to Tokyo and create new opportunities for global exchange.
This Global Business Networking Program is an initiative, implemented by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, aims to promote global exchange within Tokyo's innovation ecosystem through business events, networking sessions, and salons conducted primarily in English, fostering inclusion of global businesspersons. The program seeks to establish Tokyo as a startup hub and international financial center, encouraging participation from business professionals worldwide.
