How Success in Japan was a Catalyst to iRobot’s Transformation

Fresh off the excitement of launching the Roomba s9+ in Tokyo, Japan, I thought it important to pause and reflect on the unique position Japan holds in the world of robots, and how instrumental the Japanese people have been to the creation of the Roomba and iRobot’s evolution as a company.

Perhaps like no other place, Japan has embraced robots. Around the world, robots are often viewed as science fiction or with trepidation and even fear. Japan has long considered robots not just a partner, but a solution to societal challenges.

Some say their faith in a robot partnership is rooted in Shintoism, which seeks harmony rather than a hierarchy between inhabitants of the world, be they robots, humans, or otherwise. Others point to demographic realities like Japan’s rapidly aging population, for which there may not be enough people in younger generations to provide the appropriate level of support and care for its elder generation – and so robots are seen as part of the solution to that challenge, rather than a threat.

I think it’s very clearly both phenomena together along with some other cultural elements that have made Japan a loving home for robots – and as a result, a home we, iRobot, have learned many critical lessons which have made Roomba better and iRobot a much stronger company.

I remember even in iRobot’s earliest days the important role our work with Japan played in our company’s development. We were the first non-Japanese company to be funded by Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry. At the time, most of our business was not here in America, but with Japan. Even after we brought Roomba to market, Japan was our most profitable market for some time – and even today it’s our second-largest market.

Through our work to improve the Roomba for the Japanese consumer, we also learned what it truly means to make a high-quality product. The Japanese, unlike any other culture, have an extraordinarily high bar for what constitutes quality. Japanese culture is one that expects perfection and demands value. It is also a barefoot culture. So as you might imagine, creating a robot vacuum, whose job is to keep the floors clean… well, there isn’t a lot of margin for error! Even when our robots did an amazing job of keeping floors clean, even something as seemingly small as a fingerprint smudge appearing on the robot, or a small scratch on the box the robot was shipped in could be cause for rejection by our Japanese customers. No detail was too small. Nothing could be overlooked.

But by being put through the wringer of Japan’s high-quality standards, we earned our wings as a premium consumer robot company. And when you create a premium product that is accepted into a Japanese home, the Japanese treat that product with great respect, going so far as to make decisions about what furniture to buy, and even how to architect buildings.

I’m not kidding! If you go into a furniture store in Japan, it’s not uncommon to see couches and sofas labeled as “works with Roomba” because the requisite clearance exists between the floor and the bottom of the couch to allow a Roomba robot to pass underneath without trouble. Further, apartment buildings have been built in Japan that are “Roomba-able” – as they are built complete with hubs in the walls for Roomba robots to recharge in when not out on a cleaning job. And for one AI Ramen Noodle Shop in Tokyo, you can see where that shop’s Braava Jet robot lives right at the 30-second mark.

Certainly, Japan has a special place in its homes and its heart for robots – likewise, we at iRobot have a special place for Japan in our hearts as well.  We would not be the company we are today without being put through the test to prove ourselves to the Japanese consumer and I am thankful for every challenge that has been put in front of us.