On Monday, Waymo, a firm owned by Alphabet, revealed that it will begin testing its driverless cars in Tokyo in early 2025 as the first step towards globalisation.
TakeAway Points:
- Waymo, which is owned by Alphabet, says that in early 2025, it will start testing its robotaxis in Tokyo, Japan.
- This is the first step the company has taken to expand internationally.
- Waymo has established development collaborations with taxi operator Nihon Kotsu and taxi-hailing service Go in Japan, although it has not yet committed to launching commercial operations there.
Waymo to test in its first international destination
Waymo hasn’t committed to start commercial service in Tokyo yet, but the robotaxi developer will partner with Japan’s largest taxi operator, Nihon Kotsu, and taxi app GO to start testing its Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in Tokyo’s streets.
To start, Nihon Kotsu drivers will manually operate the Waymo vehicles to map key areas of the Japanese capital, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa, and Kōtō.
Data from the crewed test drives will help train the company’s AI systems. Waymo will also test its robotaxis on a closed course in the U.S. built to mimic driving conditions in Japan.
This is the first phase of the partnerships, which will last several quarters, Waymo said, adding that it expects to remain in Japan for an extended period.
“Our upcoming road trip to Tokyo gives us the chance to work alongside local partners, government officials, and community groups to understand the new landscape,” Waymo said in a statement. “We’ll learn how Waymo can serve Tokyo’s residents and become a beneficial part of the city’s transportation ecosystem.”
Nihon Kotsu will oversee the management and servicing of Waymo’s vehicles in Japan, the companies said.
Waymo to Expand across US
Waymo announced a series of expansions across the U.S. in 2024. Earlier this month, the company announced new testing in Miami in 2025; it made its driverless ride hail service available across Los Angeles in November; and in September, it announced planned expansions into Austin and Atlanta in partnership with Uber.
The move into Japan marks the company’s first in a left-hand traffic market.
Both the Japanese national government and Tokyo Metropolitan government see driverless technology as a potential boon to the country’s ageing population, according to research by the World Economic Forum.
Tokyo has designated certain areas as “test zones” for self-driving cars, hoping to hasten the arrival of safe driverless transportation systems there.
Several developers are working on autonomous vehicles in Japan, including local startup Tier IV and ZMP, a robotics company that is testing delivery vehicles and buses in Tokyo. Monet Technologies, which is partly owned by Toyota, announced plans to test a self-driving taxi service in Tokyo’s Odaiba district earlier this year.
Waymo’s Japan expansion announcement comes a week after General Motors announced it was abandoning its Cruise robotaxi division. Honda, an outside investor in Cruise, said that it aimed to launch a driverless ride-hail service in Japan in early 2026 but would reassess those plans and make adjustments if needed.
Prior to GM’s retreat from robotaxis, Cruise had been one of Waymo’s primary domestic competitors.
