Toyota Launches Operations of Japanese Experimental City 'Woven City'..."A Test Bed for the Future"

Testing Autonomous Driving, Robotic Delivery, and More... Companies Unrelated to Automobiles Also Participating

'Woven City' built by Toyota Motor Corporation [Jiji AFP Yonhap News File Photo. Resale and DB Prohibited]

Toyota Motor Corporation has begun operations of 'Woven City,' a futuristic city built to test new products and services.

According to reports from the Yomiuri Shimbun and others on the 26th, Toyota held a ceremony the previous day in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, near Mount Fuji, to mark the full-scale launch of Woven City.

Woven City, which means 'woven together,' was established based on Toyota's vision to "build a town from zero." It serves as a testing ground for various advanced technologies to be implemented in the future.

Toyota has initially opened 47,000 square meters and plans to expand the area to 294,000 square meters in the future. While the number of residents is currently limited to a few households, the plan is to increase it to 300, and eventually to about 2,000.

Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, described Woven City as a "test bed for the future," emphasizing that by collaborating even with companies unrelated to the automotive industry, they will achieve a "multiplicative effect" of technology.

In fact, a wide range of companies beyond Toyota are participating in Woven City.

Air conditioning manufacturer Daikin Industries is conducting experiments to create pollen-free environments within the city, while food company UCC Japan is analyzing the behavior of cafe users to investigate the impact of coffee on human creativity and productivity.

Toyota is promoting the development of autonomous driving-related technologies at this site. Unlike public roads, Woven City has fewer regulations, which is expected to accelerate the development of self-driving vehicles.

Toyota plans to sell vehicles that operate without a driver under specific conditions with remote management starting after April 2027.

In the underground roads of Woven City, automated delivery robots will handle the delivery of parcels and other items to households.

Toyota also plans to allow public access to the city starting after April 2026.

An official from 'Woven by Toyota,' a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation and the operator of Woven City, stated, "It would be meaningless if this place were a closed space," adding, "We will continue to create new businesses." Yonhap News