Robots cleaning up at stations and airports in labor-hungry Japan

NAGOYA – More and more unmanned cleaning robots have been introduced in Japan, mainly at public transportation facilities amid severe labor shortages. Faced with difficulties securing enough workers, Central Japan Railway Co. started using four robots this year to clean Nagoya Station and other locations, hoping that using the robots, expected to cover most of the necessary cleaning work, will help save on labor costs. In the wee hours, automated robots scrub the floors at Nagoya Station with water. In February, two robots joined 50 workers to do cleaning work. "We can reduce the cost of hiring and training," a JR Central official said.