I’ve heard many explanations for the Japanese obsession with robots but perhaps the one that makes the most sense is that as of 2014, over 71% of the Japanese population was over the age of 60. Japan has the fastest declining population in the world. More adult diapers are sold in Japan than baby diapers, with fewer and fewer workers to support an aging population. Because Japan is notoriously xenophobic as well, it is expected that they will be less likely to engage immigrants workers than other nations. Enter the robots.
