A rotary actuator has: one motor, two strain wave reduction gears disposed symmetrically on both sides of the motor, and one output shaft. The output rotation of the motor is reduced in speed at the same reduction ratio by the two strain wave reduction gears and is outputted from the output shaft to a load side. The first and second externally toothed gears of the first and second strain wave reduction gears are flexed into ellipsoidal shapes with 90 degrees shifted in phase, and are meshed with first and second internally toothed gears. The angle transmission errors of the first and second strain wave reduction gears transmitted to the output shaft are reduced by cancelling each other out in the output shaft. Reduced-speed output rotation that has the reduced angle transmission errors is outputted to the load side from the output shaft.