What’s got Japanese people worried about their work-life balance? Why are more men staying at home to raise the kids? And how did Halloween become a national holiday? This Cultural Snapshot uses local stats and case studies to explore behavioural norms shared by Japanese people in 2017.

Since notoriously homogeneous Japan is reluctant to employ trained nurses from foreign countries, robotics engineers are developing elder-care robots instead. The country has to find a way to address its healthcare personnel shortage, but its ageing population is keen to look to tech.

Dog-friendly workplaces may be on the rise, but owning a pet is still off the table for many people, whether that's due to a lack of space or money. For those who don't have the time to properly care for a pooch, Sony's Aibo could provide the animal companionship they crave.

As our lives become more automated, the consumer robotics industry is only set to grow. But something is holding the market back – people find it difficult to trust these machines, especially in their homes and offices. Why do they make us uneasy, and what will convince people to trust robots?