Waymo plans Tokyo launch of Japan's 1st autonomous taxi service
Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car company, just announced it plans to launch Japan's first fully autonomous commercial taxi service in Tokyo in 2027.
Teaming up with local partners GO and Nihon Kotsu, they are planned to start with a small fleet and expand to about 100 vehicles, subject to regulatory approvals and ongoing validation.
Waymo unmanned taxis will be bookable
You will be able to book these driverless rides right from the GO or Waymo apps, once approvals are secured and the service is fully validated.
Waymo began collecting data in Tokyo in 2025 using human-driven Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, but now they are going all in on automation, to help address Japan's driver shortage and its broader population decline.
"From day one, this will be an unmanned service for the public" says Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana.
Plus, other companies like Nissan are jumping into the self-driving scene too, so things are about to get interesting for Tokyo commuters.