Books

Loving the Machine

Beautiful...enlightening....a must-read for bot-obsessed humanoids. -- Wired Magazine

It’s a fascinating history, rendered in words and bright photographs. -- The Associated Press

Product Description

Japan stands out for its long love affair with humanoid robots, a phenomenon that is creating what will likely be the world's first mass robot culture. While U.S. companies have produced robot vacuum cleaners and war machines, Japan has created humanoids and pet robots as entertaining friends. While the U.S. makes movies like Robocop and The Terminator, Japan is responsible for the friendly Mighty Atom, Aibo and Asimo. While the U.S. sponsors robot-on-robot destruction contests, Japan's feature tasks that mimic nonviolent human activities.

What can account for Japan's unique relationship with robots as potential colleagues in life, rather than as potential adversaries? This book attempts to answer this fundamental query by looking at Japan's historical connections with robots, its present fascination and leading technologies, and what the future holds.

From the Edo-period humanoid automatons, through popular animation icons and into the high-tech labs of today's researchers in robotic motion and intelligence, the author traces a fascinating trail of passion and development.

From the Publisher

A fascination with robots pervades Japanese culture, from cartoon shows to consumer toys to corporate engineering research. While in the West, robots are seen as threatening—think of the "Terminator"-style tales of technology out to destroy its human creators—in Japan, robots are far more commonly seen as partners, cooperating with the humanity whose image they wear. And several companies, including Honda, Sony, Fujitsu, and JVC, have spent millions in developing robots who return the investment not through money but by serving as technological ambassadors to the public. LOVING THE MACHINE: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots explores the reasons behind Japan's unique affection for robots, and looks at the surprising direction in which robo-mania is taking the country.

Discover Japan

Skim the cream of the country in Discover Japan. This full-colour guide does the work for you - Lonely Planet's trademark expertise cuts straight to the must-see highlights of the country so no matter what your time frame or budget, you won't miss the best bits.

The orchestrated clatter of Tokyo, the powdery slopes of Niseko, the history of Takayama - Japan's a journey for the senses.

Get lost in a flurry of cherry blossoms or the pluming steam from a bowl of udon noodle soup. You'll love it.

Lonely Planet - Japan

Nobody knows Japan like Lonely Planet. With more maps and language content than any other guidebook, this 11th edition unveils the very best of shopping in Tokyo, skiing in the Japan Alps, soaking in idyllic onsen (hot springs), trekking to Kansai's feudal castles, slurping soba at Kyushu food stalls, and so much more.

Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit. This fully updated edition is packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give you the information you need to make the most of your trip.

Lonely planet - Tokyo

You don't have to go far to get far-out in Tokyo.

Spend a Sunday in Harajuku snapping the costumed kids, buy a USB drive that looks like sushi, watch the blades blur at Tsukiji Central Fish Market and digest it all over thimbles of sake in a Golden Gai drinking den.