Japan Embraces the Robot Takeover

While people fret about robots taking human jobs, machines in Japan are stepping in to fill vacancies amid the worst labor shortage in more than 40 years. That’s creating an opportunity for up-and-coming startups focused on automating warehouse tasks.

Nitori Holdings Co., Japan’s biggest furniture maker, last week deployed 79 robots to move around shelves filled with products at its Osaka distribution center. The company, which introduced the country’s first automated furniture warehouse in 1980, is looking to reduce its reliance on human labor.