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Japan robotics supply chain

Japanese manufacturers produce robot-joint reducers, bearings and permanent magnets. Harmonic Drive Systems and Nabtesco operate reducer factories in Japan; NITTOKU makes motor-winding machines and DISCO makes semiconductor-processing equipment. Sojitz imports rare earths from Lynas for Japanese industry.

Humanoid development

Bipedal research

Kawasaki · Kaleido 9

Kawasaki’s humanoid programme reached its ninth-generation Kaleido 9 platform in 2026. The research targets tasks in environments built for people, including the use of existing tools, equipment and stairs, and work in unpredictable settings such as disaster sites.

Sources

Research goals and platform generation. The update does not establish commercial production or deliveries.

Kawasaki Robotics · Kaleido 9 development goals · 2026-03-25
Manufacturer development update

Company & events →

Companies by role

Robot development

Motion components

Tactile sensing

Magnet materials

Production equipment

Components & orders

Tactile sensing

XELA Robotics · tactile integration for robot hands

Tokyo-based XELA supplies uSkin three-axis tactile sensors for robot hands and grippers. Its January 2026 update describes integration into Tesollo’s DG-5F hand, announced in December 2025, with commercial orders planned from late Q1 2026.

Sources

The named integration is DG-5F, not DG-5F-S. The January announcement gives an order-opening target; it does not confirm deliveries or volumes.

XELA Robotics · uSkin hand integrations · 2026-01-05
Manufacturer integration announcement

Component details →

Precision gearing

Harmonic Drive Systems · orders & capacity

Harmonic Drive Systems reported about ¥1.2 billion in North American AI-robot orders for April–June 2026, with one major customer in volume production. It plans to expand capacity at its US subsidiary by 50% around year-end 2026 into early 2027, serving AI robots, medical devices and semiconductor equipment.

Sources

The 7 August briefing describes orders received during April–June 2026 and identifies one major customer in volume production. It does not disclose the outstanding order balance or that customer’s identity. The August briefing schedules investment around year-end 2026 into early 2027. The 50% expansion target applies to the US subsidiary.

Harmonic Drive Systems · Q1 briefing, p. 7 · 2026-08-17
Company-reported order intake

Harmonic Drive Systems · Q1 briefing, p. 11 · 2026-08-17
Company-reported capacity plan

Harmonic Drive LLC · US manufacturing location
Manufacturer location page · checked 7 Oct 2026

Component details →

Industrial reducers

Nabtesco · industrial reducer concentration

Nabtesco estimates a roughly 60% global share of precision reducers for medium-to-large industrial robot joints.

Sources

In 2020, Nabtesco described its main market as robots with payloads of 6 kg or more. The current share page gives neither a payload cutoff nor a measurement year.

Nabtesco · market-share estimate
Manufacturer estimate

Nabtesco · humanoid joint drives (29 Sep 2026) · 2026-09-29
Manufacturer product offering

Nabtesco · payload context (2020 Q&A, Q5) · 2020-10-30
Historical company explanation

Component details →

Joint bearings

THK · cross-roller rings

THK’s cross-roller rings carry radial, axial and moment loads within one bearing. The arrangement supports compact, rigid rotary joints.

Sources

Product capability. This reference does not identify a humanoid customer or a production allocation.

THK · cross-roller rings
Company disclosure

Component details →

Magnet materials

TDK · NdFeB magnet grades

TDK offers neodymium magnet grades without dysprosium or terbium, alongside HAL diffusion grades that reduce their use. Grade choice changes the motor’s upstream material requirements.

Sources

Grade-specific material options; the portfolio does not establish a robot customer or the manufacturing location of a selected grade.

TDK · magnet portfolio
Company disclosure

Component details →

Manufacturing locations

Mie & Shizuoka, Japan

Nabtesco · Japan and China production

Nabtesco’s precision-equipment business lists Tsu in Mie and Hamamatsu in Shizuoka as Japanese manufacturing plants. It also lists production in Changzhou, China.

Sources

Manufacturing locations are separate from the Tokyo headquarters. The directory lists plants in Japan and China.

Nabtesco · manufacturing plants
Company disclosure

Component details →

Production equipment

Japanese tooling covers motor winding, precision screw grinding and semiconductor dicing: production steps for joints, linear actuators, cameras and compute.

Materials & overseas dependencies

Heavy-rare-earth processing
Lynas separates dysprosium and terbium at its Malaysian plant. It reported first commercial production of dysprosium oxide in May 2025 and terbium oxide in June 2025. These oxides enter the downstream metal, alloy and magnet-production chain.
Sources

Commercial milestones at the oxide-separation stage; subsequent metal and magnet production are separate processes.

Lynas · June 2025 quarterly report · 2025-07-24
Company disclosure

Rare-earth sourcing
Sojitz reports that imports of Lynas dysprosium and terbium to Japan began in October 2025. Its March 2026 announcement says a revised contract allocates 75% of Lynas’ medium and heavy rare-earth production to Japan. The partners also agreed to explore additional mining opportunities.
Sources

The allocation applies to Lynas’ medium and heavy rare-earth production. It is not Japan’s import share or a robotics-specific allocation. Exploration remains at MoU stage.

Sojitz · rare-earth supply and exploration agreements · 2026-03-13
Company disclosure

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