ABSTRACT
In Japan, robotics projects like Geminoid, modelled after Hiroshi Ishiguro, exhibit a fascination with creating human doubles. Yet, warnings against doing so also thread through Japanese thought, from the Edo-period playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653–1724) to the robotics professor Mori Masahiro (1927–2025). Though centuries apart, they describe the same uncanny valley phenomenon – eerie, cold, repellent feelings when confronting the imperfectly human. In an interview with Hozumi Ikan, translated here, Chikamatsu presents a theory of realism, exemplified using puppet theatre and kabuki. Chikamatsu divides realism into four zones: the unreal, conceptual realism, surface realism, and the real. The unreal lacks authenticity, surface realism lacks soul, and the real lacks expressiveness. For Chikamatsu, it is conceptual realism that captivates an audience. A play’s unfolding events evoke empathy and emotion because of what they mean for the characters. Similarly, Mori divides realism into four zones: industrial robots, humanoid robots, android robots, and real people. Industrial robots evoke little affinity, and androids risk appearing eerie. Although real people evoke the most affinity, robots cannot become indistinguishable. For Mori, only humanoid robots evoke affinity without any uncanniness. Both Chikamatsu and Mori probe anthropomorphism, inspiring a new paradigm for designing robots that delight.
