Karakuri, the Clockwork Robots of Japan [Video]

So it seems that the Japanese obsession with robots goes back far longer than one might expect. For about 300 years, Japanese master craftsmen have produced clockwork automatons called karakuri. Exacting in their detail, and breathtakingly complex, these wind-up creations were originally created in the 18th century to one-up Western automatons. Today, some practitioners still carry on the tradition, like the craftsman in the video above. It’s an amazing look at an art rarely seen these days.

(via Laughing Squid)