Is robotics so popular in Japan?

Yes, they are everywhere.
The three small robots in the right are JR (Japan Railway) Crowd Control unit, shooting laser guns and small rokets to jumpers who try to jump into trains when trains ring to depart. You can see those shootings every morning in Tokyo train stations.

Left is a photo of "Housewife 2005" a new model for your daily life care from Honda. It can do almost everything what your wife can do, and it does those without complaints. If you are sick and tired of your wife, you can buy one of them and get rid of your hunny.