Acknowledgements	6
	Contents	9
	List of Figures	11
	1: Introduction: The Japanese Robot and Performance	12
	Japanese Culture and the Robot	16
	Defining the Robot	16
	The History of the Japanese Performing Robot	18
	Japanese Modernity and Technology	22
	Theatre and Performance Concepts Through Japanese Culture	25
	Performativity and Geinoh	25
	The Performing Object and Staging	27
	Double Vision	29
	Participatory Spectatorship	29
	In This Book	32
	Notes	35
	References	39
	2: Robotics and Representation	48
	Japanese Humanoid Research	53
	Japanese Robotics and Manga/Anime Culture	56
	Astro Boy Syndrome	60
	The Presence of the Japanese Humanoid	62
	Notes	65
	References	67
	3: Futuristic Spectacle: Robot Performances at Expos	72
	Robot Spectacle at the Japan World Expo, 1970	76
	Celebrating Japan´s Robots: The Tsukuba Exposition, 1985	80
	Nature and Technology: Garden and Greenery Exposition, Osaka, 1990	82
	Integration and Fantasy: Expo 2005 in Aichi	84
	Cultural Essentialism and Dramaturgy: In Tokyo and on the Australian Tour, 2007	86
	Notes	94
	References	96
	4: The Anthropomorphic Robot and Artistic Expression	100
	Oriza Hirata´s Robot Theatre	102
	The Failure of Sayonara	107
	Hiroshi Ishiguro´s Android Experiments	109
	Cultural Affordance and Preconceived Outcomes	115
	Robots and Disillusionment	117
	Notes	121
	References	123
	5: Robots, Space, and Place	127
	Giant Robot Statues	128
	Dreams of a Giant Robot	133
	Robot Restaurant	138
	Notes	144
	References	144
	6: Hatsune Miku, Virtual Machine-Woman	149
	The Development of Hatsune Miku	151
	Japanese Fanzine Culture and Otaku	154
	Lolicon Manga and Otaku Desire	157
	Critique of the Otaku Imagination	159
	Kawaii and Female Idols	161
	Circuits of Signification: Otaku Sexuality	167
	Notes	169
	References	172
	7: Competition Robots: Empathy and Identification	177
	Robot Contests	178
	Robo-One	179
	The Puppet, the Puppeteer, and the Spectator	181
	Robots as Mediators	183
	Continuum: Organic Beings and Inanimate Objects	185
	The Human, the Monkey, the Robot, the Other	186
	Bacarobo and Humour	188
	Space, Community, and Audience	190
	Clowning and Forms of Comedy	192
	Satire and Modoki	194
	Notes	195
	References	198
	8: Robots that `Care´	200
	The Socially Assistive Robot	201
	Aibo´s Design	206
	Communication with Paro	210
	The Institutionalised Other	213
	Fandom: Living with Robots	215
	Notes	217
	References	220
	9: Epilogue: Staging a Robot Nation	226
	Notes	232
	References	233
	References	234
	Index	263