Robotics market
JARA members' robot orders rose 40.0% in value in Q2 2026, to ¥312.7 billion
40.0%. That's how much the value of robot orders at Japan Robot Association member companies grew in the second quarter of 2026, to ¥312,663 million, about ¥312.7 billion. In units, orders rose 19.3% to 57,695.
Unlike 2025, the gain wasn't only abroad. Exports rose 13.2% to 43,046 units, and shipments to customers inside Japan rose 7.3% to 7,722. Loading and unloading robots for export were up 49.2%, while spot welding robots fell.
JARA expects the year to set a record: orders of ¥1.22 trillion in 2026, up 16.7%. This page traces the quarter and the forecast to their sources.
Data covers Orders, production and shipments of robots by JARA member companies in April to June 2026 versus April to June 2025, with JARA's June 2026 full-year forecast. Published 2026-10-16. Last reviewed 2026-10-16. Last updated 2026-10-16. Edited by Mike Ramsey / Reliable Media.
The figures and where they come from
Each figure is rated for how safely you can cite it today. Ratings judge current usability, not whether a number was ever correct.
| Figure | What it is | Source | Citation Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57,695 units (+19.3%) | Robot orders, April to June 2026 | [A] | High | Up from 48,353 in the same quarter of 2025. JARA member companies only. |
| ¥312,663 million (+40.0%) | Order value, April to June 2026 | [A] | High | About ¥312.7 billion, up from ¥223,408 million. |
| 51,437 units (+11.4%) | Robots produced, April to June 2026 | [A] | High | Production value rose 24.3% to ¥252,008 million. |
| 50,768 units (+12.2%) | Total shipments, April to June 2026 | [A] | High | Domestic shipments plus exports. |
| 43,046 units (+13.2%) | Exports, April to June 2026 | [A] | High | 84.8% of unit shipments, up from 84.1%. |
| 7,722 units (+7.3%) | Shipments inside Japan, April to June 2026 | [A] | High | Up from 7,199 in the same quarter of 2025. |
| 37,816 (-18.3%) | Shipments inside Japan, full year 2025, for comparison | [C] | High | From JARA's annual results, which include non-members, so the scope differs from the quarterly table. |
| 7,047 units (+47.4%) | Loading and unloading robots shipped | [A] | High | Exports up 49.2% to 6,784; domestic up 11.9% to 263. |
| 3,960 units (-18.9%) | Spot welding robots shipped | [A] | High | Down in both domestic shipments and exports. |
| JARA member companies | Who the quarterly data cover | [A] | High | JARA's annual results also include non-members, so quarterly and annual totals aren't directly comparable. |
| ¥1.22 trillion (+16.7%) | JARA forecast for 2026 orders | [B] | Medium | A forecast, which would be a record if met. Raised by ¥190 billion from January's outlook. |
| +¥190 billion | Forecast revision since January | [B] | Medium | The report attributes the revision to stronger electronics demand, especially AI-related products. |
Why the numbers disagree
Value and units diverge sharply. Orders rose 40.0% in yen but 19.3% in units, so the average order was worth more. Quote the measure you mean.
Quarterly and annual JARA data have different scopes. The quarterly tables cover JARA member companies; the annual results add non-members. Don't add four quarters and compare the sum with an annual figure.
The ¥1.22 trillion is a forecast reported by a trade publication, not a JARA result, and it was set in June before the full second-quarter data came out.
How to cite these figures
Cite it as JARA, April to June 2026 results: member companies' robot orders rose 40.0% in value to ¥312,663 million and 19.3% in units to 57,695.
When you contrast 2026 with 2025, say which JARA dataset you mean: member companies' domestic shipments rose 7.3% in Q2 2026, while JARA's broader annual data showed an 18.3% fall across 2025.
Label the ¥1.22 trillion as JARA's June 2026 forecast for the full year.
Where people go wrong
Reporting 40% as the growth in robots ordered. Units grew 19.3%; value grew 40.0%.
Treating JARA's quarterly figures as covering every Japanese robot maker. They cover member companies.
Calling 2026 a record year already. That's JARA's forecast.
How we checked
Quarterly orders, production, shipments and application detail come from JARA's April to June 2026 results PDF. Its text layer lists the 2025 quarter, the 2026 quarter and the change in that order, which is how each figure is quoted.
The full-year forecast comes from a Metalworking Report article of June 23, 2026 describing JARA's revised outlook, and rates Medium as a forecast.
Full source list
Primary sources, with live links. Every figure above traces to one of these.
- [A]Japan Robot Association (JARA)2026
Japan Robot Association (JARA), "April - June 2026 Results" (quarterly orders, production and shipments, PDF)
https://www.jara.jp/e/data/dl/quarter/April-June-2026.pdf - [B]Metalworking Report (mreport.co.th), reporting JARA's forecastJune 23, 2026
Metalworking Report, "JARA Forecasts Industrial Robot Orders to Rise 16.7% to Record ¥1.22 Trillion in 2026"
https://www.mreport.co.th/en/news/trend-and-innovation/138-jara-industrial-robot-orders-2026-physical-ai - [C]Japan Robot Association (JARA)2026
Japan Robot Association (JARA), "2025 Results: Orders, Production and Shipments of Manipulators and Robots" (CY2025, PDF)
https://jara.jp/e/data/dl/year/IR_CY2025_e.pdf
Common questions
- How many robots did JARA members book in Q2 2026?
- JARA member companies booked 57,695 robot orders in April to June 2026, up 19.3%, worth ¥312,663 million, up 40.0%.
- Are robot shipments inside Japan recovering?
- For JARA member companies, shipments inside Japan rose 7.3% to 7,722 units in Q2 2026, after JARA's full-year 2025 data showed an 18.3% fall.
- What does JARA forecast for 2026?
- Industrial robot orders of ¥1.22 trillion, up 16.7%, which would be a record, according to a June 2026 report on JARA's revised forecast.
- How did loading and unloading robots do in Q2 2026?
- Shipments rose 47.4% to 7,047 units, with exports up 49.2%, per JARA. Spot welding robots went the other way, down 18.9% to 3,960.
More data, traced to source
- Japan built 207,004 robots in 2025, up 17.5%, as exports jumped 28.2%
Japan Robot Association data show production of 207,004 robots in 2025, up 17.5%, and orders of 218,987, up 20.0%. Exports rose 28.2% to 173,323 units while shipments inside Japan fell 18.3%.
- Japan's robot factories: 176,215 built and 182,464 ordered
Japan is the world's dominant maker of industrial robots. Its makers built 176,215 units and took orders for 182,464 in the latest year, both down from the year before. The source figures, in units and yen.
- Japan builds robots for export, not for home
Japan is the world's robot workshop, and most of what it makes leaves the country. In the big welding applications, Japanese makers ship several times more robots abroad than at home.
- Japan's robot installations fell 19%, dropping it to third place
Japan installed 36,219 industrial robots, down 19%, and slipped from second to third in the world behind China and the United States, per IFR World Robotics 2026. IFR does not expect a major recovery soon.