ZEALS Corporation (“ZEALS”; headquarters: Meguro-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Masahiro Shimizu), developer of the quasi-domestically produced compact humanoid robot D1, is pleased to announce the appointment of former Minister of Justice Hideki Makihara as an advisor to the company’s robotics business, centered on D1.
Background to the Appointment
Japan is facing increasingly severe labor shortages across a wide range of sectors, including healthcare and nursing care, hospitality, logistics, and manufacturing, driven by the declining birthrate, aging population, and shrinking working-age population.
Against this backdrop, expectations are growing for “Physical AI”—AI that extends beyond the digital realm to perceive and interact with the physical world through robots, enabling them to move, communicate, and perform tasks.
ZEALS has been expanding the technologies and expertise it has developed through the creation and real-world deployment of customer service AI agents into the physical world. Through its initiatives in robotics, the company aims to build a society in which AI and robots work alongside people.
On August 5, 2026, ZEALS officially unveiled D1, a quasi-domestically produced compact humanoid robot developed specifically for use in Japan’s indoor environments.
Press release: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000206.000019209.html
D1 is designed to operate in the environments commonly found in Japanese hospitals, nursing care facilities, hotels, logistics facilities, and manufacturing sites, including narrow corridors and doorways, elevators, reception areas, waiting rooms, and back-of-house spaces.
For robots to advance beyond the research and development stage and become continuously utilized in real-world settings, it is essential to focus not only on developing the robot hardware and AI, but also on ensuring that deployment is aligned with society, existing regulatory frameworks, and the operational requirements of each implementation site.
By welcoming Mr. Makihara—who brings extensive knowledge and experience in legal practice, public administration, economic and industrial policy, and health, labor, and welfare—as an advisor, ZEALS will further strengthen the organization driving its robotics business centered on D1.
About the Quasi-Domestically Produced Compact Humanoid Robot D1
D1 is a quasi-domestically produced compact humanoid robot developed for practical use in Japan’s indoor environments.
Standing approximately 129.3 centimeters tall, with a mobile base measuring approximately 48 centimeters in width, D1 features a compact design that enables it to navigate the narrow corridors, doorways, and elevators commonly found in Japanese buildings. It is designed to perform a wide range of tasks while communicating with people, including providing guidance and reception services, conducting patrols, monitoring people’s well-being, and transporting and handing over items.
In addition to providing the robot itself, ZEALS will work closely with client companies and partners to design on-site workflows and establish operational systems that enable the robot to deliver sustainable value over time.
Profile of Hideki Makihara
President and Representative Director, Dream Platform Inc.
Former Minister of Justice and former Member of the House of Representatives
Former State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry; former State Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare; and former Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Environment
After graduating from Azabu High School and the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo, Mr. Makihara worked as an attorney on numerous international matters. He subsequently studied at Georgetown University Law Center and practiced as an attorney qualified in both Japan and the State of New York.
In 2003, he joined Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, where he achieved notable successes in international trade negotiations. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2005. Throughout his career, he has advanced policies across a broad range of fields, including justice, the economy, and health, labor, and welfare, while playing a leading role in reforming Japan’s legal system and shaping its international economic policy.
Message from Hideki Makihara
As Japan faces an accelerating population decline and increasingly severe labor shortages, building a society in which people and technology work together through the use of AI and robotics is an issue of critical importance.
I see D1, developed by ZEALS, as an ambitious initiative that directly addresses the characteristics of Japanese buildings and workplaces, with the clear goal of achieving practical, real-world adoption.
For new technologies to gain broad acceptance in society, technological advancement alone is not enough. It is equally important to deploy them thoughtfully and carefully, ensuring harmony with existing systems, the workplaces in which they are introduced, and people’s everyday lives.
Drawing on my experience in law, public administration, and industrial policy, I look forward to contributing to the real-world deployment of D1 and the development of a Physical AI industry originating in Japan.