On July 27, 2026, Hong Kong media Hong Kong 01 published an article titled "Why Did Japanese Robots Die Before Dawn?", reporting on the background of Japan's retreat from the competition in AI general-purpose humanoid (humanoid robot) body development, while the United States and China hold the initiative in that market.

The article described the current situation where the United States and China are rapidly expanding their dominance in the AI humanoid market, while Japan, which once led robot technology with Honda's "ASIMO" and other robots, has lost its leadership in the finished product market and retreated to a position specialized in supplying core components, including reducers and servo motors.

It further analyzed that the biggest factor making the difference lies in the differences and changes in technological approaches; while Japan excels at precise hardware development and rule-based manual program control, which were mainstream in conventional industrial robot production, the U.S. and China are leading the market by advancing autonomous learning-type development based on AI large models and data-driven approaches, which are the recent mainstream.

It also argued that the insufficient development of IT platforms and AI software infrastructure in Japan after the collapse of the bubble economy created a gap in fundamental capabilities in the AI era, and as a result, became a factor in being caught in a pincer attack from both the U.S. and China.

Furthermore, it also mentioned internal inhibiting factors stemming from Japan's industrial structure and ecosystem. It reported that past success experiences in industrial robots and strong dependence on the automotive industry became obstacles to the commercialization of general-purpose humanoids, and that a closed software system, lack of demonstration sites and data loops, and a risk-averse investment climate also became major factors slowing down the development pace.

On the other hand, the article also touched upon Japan's historical background of leading the world through policy support in the 1970s-80s and the development of bipedal walking technology in the 2000s. It introduced that although leadership in robot bodies has been taken by the U.S. and China, Japan still maintains an indispensable presence in core component fields such as reducers and servo motors, on which even U.S. and Chinese companies must rely. (Editor/Translator: Kawashiri)