Bishop White Committee: Friends of East Asia | Almost Human – Robo Sapiens Japonicus

 

Japanese humanoid and companion robots have long captured the global imagination. Designed with extraordinary dexterity and sensory capacity, they now operate in factories, hospital operating rooms, warehouses, and domestic spaces. Yet their growing presence raises compelling questions: How has sustained human–robot interaction reshaped Japanese society, particularly one grounded in shokkan, the primacy of human touch? And can robots, through mimicking human behavior, move beyond mechanical function to challenge our understanding of tactile sensation itself?

 

In celebration of the ROM original exhibition, Shokkan, Material Encounters in Japanese Art, Almost Human: Robo Sapiens Japonicus is an evening of thought-provoking conversations examining robots, sensory perception, and the evolving relationship between humans and machines in post-industrial Japan.

This exclusive event complements the exhibition, which examines the sense of touch as a vital element of Japanese aesthetics and cultural expression. Curated by Dr. Akiko Takesue, Bishop White Committee Curator of Japanese Art and Culture, the exhibition brings together exceptional objects from the collections and loaned objects from Japan, inviting visitors to consider how tactile perception shapes beauty, meaning, and experience.

 

Following the presentations, guests are invited to a Japanese-themed reception in the Samuel Hall Currelly Gallery, featuring sake tasting, Japanese cuisine, and special displays from the Japan collections held at ROM.

 

 

Professor Emerita Jennifer Robertson (University of Michigan) will deliver the keynote address, Touching Robots: Research, Risk, Reality. A leading authority on Japanese robotics, Professor Robertson explores how robots occupy the space between technological reality and cultural imagination, reshaping concepts of gender, family, and the human body.

 

Dr. Akiko Takesue, Bishop White Committee Associate Curator of Japanese Art & Culture at ROM, will offer a special presentation highlighting key works from the Shokkan exhibition. She will help us gain a better understanding of how these objects exemplify the uniquely Japanese synthesis of visual elegance and sensory engagement.