Tokyo Set for Driverless Taxi Debut as Waymo Expands Japan Push

Tokyo could become the next major market for fully autonomous taxis, with Alphabet’s self-driving unit Waymo joining forces with Japanese taxi app operator GO and taxi company Nihon Kotsu to launch an unmanned commercial service in the capital in 2027. The companies said on Tuesday that they plan to begin with a small fleet of autonomous vehicles before gradually expanding to about 100 cars operating across key neighbourhoods in Tokyo. The planned launch remains subject to regulatory approvals as well as continued testing and validation of Waymo’s autonomous driving technology and its operating model in Japan. Once the necessary approvals have been secured and the service is fully validated, passengers will be able to hail the driverless taxis through both the GO and Waymo apps. The vehicles will operate without a human driver, the companies said in a joint statement. "From day one, this will be an unmanned service for the public," Waymo Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana told reporters at a joint press conference in Tokyo. "We'll grow our fleet responsibly over time, steadily operating until anyone in Tokyo can download an app and take a ride." The planned service represents a significant step in Waymo’s expansion beyond the United States and comes as Japan faces a growing shortage of professional drivers. The company began collecting driving data on Tokyo’s public roads in 2025 using human-driven Jaguar I-PACE vehicles. The operation marked Waymo’s first public-road activity outside the United States and was intended to help the company understand Tokyo’s complex urban environment, traffic patterns and road conditions. Tokyo presents a particularly demanding environment for autonomous driving technology, with dense traffic, narrow streets, complex intersections and large numbers of pedestrians and cyclists. Building enough operational data and demonstrating that the technology can safely handle those conditions will be critical before a fully driverless service can begin. Waymo and its Japanese partners said autonomous taxis could help address the country’s persistent shortage of drivers, a problem that has become increasingly acute as Japan’s population declines and its workforce ages. For Japan’s taxi industry, the technology could offer a way to maintain transportation services even as fewer people are available to work as drivers. Autonomous vehicles could potentially provide additional capacity in areas where taxi companies struggle to recruit and retain staff. The initial deployment is expected to be deliberately limited, allowing the companies to assess the service in real-world conditions before expanding the fleet. Waymo's strategy reflects a cautious approach to commercialising autonomous driving technology. Rather than immediately attempting a nationwide rollout, the company plans to establish operations in selected Tokyo neighbourhoods and increase the number of vehicles as the technology and business model are validated. The move also intensifies competition in Japan’s emerging robotaxi market. Japanese automaker Nissan has separately been working with British autonomous-driving startup Wayve and Uber Technologies on the development of robotaxi services. The competing initiatives highlight the growing interest among automakers, technology companies and transport operators in autonomous vehicles as a potential response to Japan’s demographic challenges. For Waymo, the Tokyo project offers an opportunity to demonstrate that its technology can operate commercially in one of the world’s most densely populated metropolitan areas. If the planned 2027 launch receives regulatory approval and meets the companies’ safety and operational requirements, passengers in Tokyo could soon be able to summon a taxi without a driver behind the wheel — marking a major shift for Japan’s transportation industry.