{
  "id": 7465500,
  "title": "Japan Aims to Launch First Fully Driverless Taxis in 2027",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/japan-aims-to-launch-first-fully-driverless-taxis-in-2027",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-15T03:39:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "News On Japan",
    "slug": "news-on-japan",
    "url": "https://newsonjapan.com/article/150759.php"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Japan plans to debut its initial fully driverless taxi service in Tokyo by 2027, as announced by GO, Waymo, and Nihon Kotsu. These companies will deploy Level 4 autonomous vehicles, capable of functioning without a human driver under specific circumstances. Public-road trials have been ongoing in seven Tokyo districts since April 2025. Presently, autonomous test vehicles are being operated with Nihon Kotsu drivers onboard. Safety is the top priority for the companies as they progressively introduce autonomous taxis, with a fleet of around 100 vehicles anticipated. Meanwhile, a tropical depression near the Truk Islands, situated southeast of Japan, was moving north-northwest at approximately 15 kilometers per hour as of 3 a.m. on September 15. This system is expected to evolve into a typhoon within 24 hours, potentially impacting a broad region from Okinawa to western Japan and the eastern coast of eastern Japan as it intensifies and progresses northward.",
  "summary": "GO, Waymo and Nihon Kotsu said they aim to launch Japan's first commercial fully driverless taxi service in Tokyo during 2027, using Level 4 autonomous vehicles that can operate without a driver on board under specified conditions. (News On Japan)",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}