Japan's Kakuichi took delivery of a humanoid on October 6 that it will put on a graduate contract in April 2027. The robot is called Miyazawa Noa. At a factory demo it shook hands, waved and danced — all under remote control.
Key takeaways
- Kakuichi is a construction company from Nagano, not a robot maker
- The demo took place on October 6 at the Kakuichi Kenzai Kogyo factory
- Noa runs on a remote and preloaded programs, with no AI autonomy
- Technical support comes from Play Robotics, represented by CTO Kodai Yokoyama
- The hiring does not mean an employment contract — the company says so explicitly
The demo: a handshake, a dance and a kick
Noa performed for staff of Kakuichi Kenzai Kogyo and Kakuichi Seisakusho. The repertoire was simple: a handshake, waving, dancing, a kick.
VR teleoperation was shown separately — human movement mapped onto the robot. When Noa entered the canteen and waved at the crew, the room cheered.
Autonomy is still ahead
The company is not hiding where it stands. The robot runs on a remote and initial programs. AI-based autonomy is a task for later.
The roadmap is public, but no stage beyond the first two carries a date.
Why a construction firm wants a humanoid
Kakuichi is headquartered in Nagano and works in construction. In August it said it would be the first Japanese SME to take on a bipedal humanoid as a general-track graduate hire.
The goal is not production output. The group wants employees to meet a physical robot early and work out the applications themselves. The project team runs regular robotics study sessions led by Play Robotics.
The company's size explains why the project is news at all. Kakuichi is unlisted, capitalised at 100 million yen and led by Riyu Tanaka. A humanoid in an organisation that size is a visible budget line, not a footnote.
The group is also explicit about the endpoint: Noa is eventually meant to do real work in the factory, with people and robot developing in parallel.
The disclaimer in the footer
Why it matters
Most humanoid deployments start with a task to perform. Here the order is reversed: the robot reaches people first, and work is found for it afterwards. It is an expensive way to acclimatise a workforce, but more honest than a demo implying operational readiness.
What's next
- Noa is to be formally welcomed at the new-employee ceremony in April 2027
- The next stages are bowing, sitting and standing, voice conversation and sensor-based perception
- Kakuichi says it will keep publishing progress updates on the project
