The first robotaxi service in Japan will be launched in Tokyo in 2027, announced Waymo, the autonomous driving company from Alphabet, in partnership with operator Go and taxi company Nihon Kotsu. The three companies explained that they will start with an initial fleet that will be gradually expanded until it reaches around a hundred vehicles in the main neighborhoods of the Japanese capital.
Since 2025, the companies have been conducting tests on public roads in seven districts of Tokyo, adapting autonomous driving technology to the city's road environment. These tests, with human supervision on board, are proceeding without problems, according to the companies. The official service start date will be determined only after safety confirmation and obtaining all licenses required by Japanese regulations.
Waymo's co-CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, stated that the company performs more than half a million weekly trips and has demonstrated to be more than 15 times safer than human drivers. Go's president, Hiroshi Nakajima, emphasized that since the collaboration was announced at the end of 2024, they have been advancing steadily, while Nihon Kotsu's president, Yasuharu Wakabayashi, said he is convinced that the initiative represents a crucial opportunity.
Currently, automated vehicles such as buses or trains on fixed routes are operating in Japan, while robotaxis have been on Tokyo's streets only in the testing phase. In the race for autonomous taxis, other companies have also advanced with projects, such as the alliance between Nissan and Uber and the British company Wayve, which recently announced a pilot program for the end of the year.
