Startup World

Waymo said it aims to become a part of the Tokyo transportation ecosystem, improving safety and mobility.
| Source: WaymoWaymo LLC’s autonomous vehicles will begin driving on public roads in Tokyo next week.
This marks the company’s first deployment outside the U.S.
and furthers its partnership with Dihon Kotsu and GO.During the testing, trained Nihon Kotsu drivers will manually drive Waymo vehicles across seven central-Tokyo wards, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa, and Kōtō.
The company said this manual operation will provide its engineers experience to test, refine, and adapt its autonomous driving technology to local traffic patterns and road features.“After months of strong collaboration with Nihon Kotsu and GO, Waymo has reached a historic milestone — our first venture on international public roads,” stated Nicole Gavel, head of business development and strategic partnerships at Waymo.“Our partnership demonstrates how Waymo’s 15 years of operational expertise can adapt to new environments through strategic initiatives with industry leaders,” she added.
“In Tokyo, we are abiding by the same steadfast principles that guide us in the U.S.
— commitment to safety, dedication to earning trust in communities where we operate, and collaboration with local officials and community groups here in Tokyo.”Waymo lays groundwork for Tokyo deploymentWaymo first announced its plans to bring its robotaxis to Japan in December 2024.
The company said its preparation in Tokyo has been comprehensive.Nihon Kotsu, Tokyo’s largest taxi company, will oversee the management and servicing of the vehicles.
Waymo trained the teams from taxicab app provider GO and Nihon Kotsu on fleet-management best practices and established first-responder training protocols.“Since my first ride in Phoenix, which deeply moved me, I am thrilled to finally see Waymo vehicles arrive in Japan,” said Ichiro Kawanabe, the chairman of GO, board director of Nihon Kotsu, and chairman of the Japan Taxi Association.
“I am particularly grateful that Waymo chose Tokyo for this launch.
While I had training to operate Waymo vehicles in the U.S., I believe we have built an even stronger unified team with Waymo members here.”Waymo has also started building relationships with the broader community through outreach to the public, local organizations, and government agencies, according to Reuters.
As the company introduces its services to Tokyo, it said it plans to continue working closely with Japanese policymakers, regulators, and local safety officials.More robotaxis take to the roadWaymo has achieved strong momentum in the U.S.
in recent years.
It said it now delivers more 200,000 fully autonomous rides weekly across its deployments in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.Already in 2025, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company made its robotaxis available in Austin exclusively through the Uber app.While the company’s longtime rival, Cruise, is no longer in operation, Waymo still faces competition from robotaxi companies like Zoox and Nuro, which are earlier in their deployment journeys.In 2024, Nuro expanded its capabilities using zero-occupant vehicles with the Nuro Driver system, while Zoox has grown its operations in California and Nevada.Waymo is also planning to to launch services in Miami, Atlanta, and Washington.
D.C..
The Mountain View, Calif.-based company won the 2025 RBR50 Robot of the Year award for its achievements.
Learn more about the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award winners at the RBR50 Gala at the Robotics Summit & Expo.