We Would Never Lose a Living National Treasure Again
When Astellas Pharma and Yaskawa Electric announced their joint venture CellaFa Bioscience on October 21, it sounded, at first, like another corporate collaboration.
But read between the lines — it means we’ve finally reached the age where robots can handle biology.
Their goal is to optimize the manufacturing of cell therapy products using Yaskawa’s humanoid robot Mahoro and advanced AI systems.
They plan to begin contract manufacturing by 2027, targeting up to five billion yen in annual sales.
That’s not just a new business model. That’s a shift in what “precision” means.
When you heard this news, you might have felt that humans have finally reached the level of cellular control.
You could sense that we’ve already entered a new era — one that connects directly to what I wrote recently about the “cellular era” of MANI’s tools and Yasukawa’s fully automated future.
The rise of precision medicine:Mani
Blue and white should have the same value of the society :Yasukawa
But that’s still not enough.
This news isn’t just about automation.
It’s about translating craftsmanship into code.
Until now, even the most skilled researchers had to peer into microscopes, relying on years of intuition to manipulate cells with steady hands.
Now, that knowledge — the tiny, trembling movements of expertise — can be digitized, learned, and repeated.
Human error, fatigue, even eyesight — all can be removed from the equation.
In other words, technology has learned how to preserve precision itself.
The Romans built concrete that could heal itself —
a technology lost for centuries, yet still standing today.
Japan once feared a similar loss —
of artisans, of surgeons, of precision that could only come from human hands.
But today, with companies like Yaskawa Electric ,
we are starting to record those hands,
digitize their movements,
and pass them on.
Their motions, decisions, and instincts will live on — not in textbooks, but in algorithms.
If we can teach machines not just to move, but to remember,
then perhaps — for the first time in history —
we would never lose a living national treasure .
The last thing left is the craftsman’s sensitivity.
Are you intimated?
Disclaimer
This article reflects personal views and analysis for informational purposes only. It should not be considered investment advice. Readers should conduct their own research or consult with licensed professionals before making investment decisions.
