Japan's 1st driverless taxi service eyed in Tokyo in 2027

Japan's first fully driverless taxi service is expected to launch in the capital city of Tokyo in 2027, according to a joint announcement by three major players - ride-hailing app operator Go Inc., Waymo LLC, and Nihon Kotsu Co. The ambitious project aims to gradually introduce around 100 autonomous taxis into the urban environment.

Although buses and other vehicles with automated driving capabilities are already operational in Japan, typically on fixed routes, a fully driverless taxi hailed through a smartphone application would represent a significant leap toward broader adoption of the technology. Go Inc. will contribute its expertise in taxi-hailing apps, while Waymo's self-driving technology will power the vehicles. Meanwhile, Nihon Kotsu, a prominent domestic taxi company, will handle operations management and related tasks.

The three companies have been collaborating on self-driving technology since 2024. Since the following year, they have conducted trial runs on public roads in seven Tokyo wards, refining Waymo's technology to suit the city's unique road conditions. This progress has been made possible by Nissan Motor Co.'s partnership with Uber Technologies Inc. in a separate robotaxi project, with trial operations in Tokyo slated for the latter half of this year.