Cherry Blossoms and Waymo: New Beginnings in Japan

Cherry blossom season marks new beginnings in Japan, and this spring, it also signals Waymo's arrival.

Late last year, we announced a partnership with GO, a leading Japanese taxi platform, and Nihon Kotsu, Tokyo's largest taxi company, to introduce Waymo's autonomous driving technology to Japan and explore its potential benefits within the city's transportation ecosystem. Since then, we’ve been hard at work with our partners as we prepare for Waymo’s vehicles to begin driving on Tokyo’s streets. Nihon Kotsu established a new depot to accommodate Waymo vehicles; Waymo conducted training sessions with Nihon Kotsu and GO teams, focusing on best practices for autonomous fleet operations management; and together, we have begun fostering strong community relationships through outreach to the general public, local organizations, and government agencies.

Soon Nihon Kotsu drivers will begin manually driving Waymo's vehicles in Tokyo— our first kilometers on international public roads. These vehicles will navigate across several wards of Japan’s capital city including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa, and Kōtō, creating detailed 3D maps of the city and gathering essential experience from professional drivers to inform the development of Waymo's technology for Japan.

These maps serve as the foundation for our simulation environment, where engineers can test and refine our autonomous driving technology. With a digital simulation of downtown Tokyo, we can begin adapting Waymo's system to local traffic patterns and unique road features for eventual autonomous operation.

To commemorate Waymo vehicles arriving in Japan and the hard work leading up to this milestone, we held an event on April 10, 2025 providing a first look at one of our vehicles in Japan before they begin operating on public roads. The event took place at Takanawa Gateway City with Yoichi Kise, President and CEO of East Japan Railway Company, as the guest of honor. Here's a recap of what was shared:

Ichiro Kawanabe, Chairman of GO, Board Director of Nihon Kotsu and Chairman of the Japan Taxi Association 
“I took my first ride with Waymo in Phoenix a year and a half ago and was amazed that there was really no one in the driver's seat. That was the moment I was convinced that autonomous driving technology could absolutely benefit Japan. It will help ensure mobility service in the future of Japan, with the growing aging population and labor shortage.I want to show my appreciation for the great efforts of Waymo’s teams who have spent more than 15 years developing this magical technology, and Yoichi Kise for allowing us to host this event at Takanawa Gateway City. This innovative site serves as a template for fulfilled living a century into the future while connecting various transportation systems. Waymo's operations in the United States have demonstrated significant safety benefits. I hope everyone in Tokyo will offer their support as we introduce this technology. We will continue to move forward step by step."

Nicole Gavel, Senior Director, Head of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, Waymo 
“After months of strong collaboration with Nihon Kotsu and GO, Waymo has reached a historic milestone— our first venture on international public roads. Our partnership demonstrates how Waymo's 15 years of operational expertise can adapt to new environments through strategic initiatives with industry leaders. 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.”

Yasuharu Wakabayashi, President of Nihon Kotsu
“Nihon Kotsu crews have trained in the U.S. and are well-prepared to begin introducing Waymo’s vehicles to Tokyo. Nihon Kotsu, as a taxi operator, is proud to leverage its operational expertise as we help drive the introduction of  autonomous driving technology in Japan by operating the vehicles. We anticipate that autonomous robotaxis will help address driver shortages in the future. We view this initiative as the first step toward building an ideal ecosystem that unites people and advanced technology.”

Hiroshi Nakajima, President of GO
“Today marks the initial stage of our journey toward the future of mobility in Japan. GO is committed to fully contributing our accumulated experience, expertise and resources from all our past businesses and services to this project for the exciting future. We believe that GO, as a national service, is well positioned to help with future robotaxi expansion beyond Tokyo. We will continue to work steadily on this project and provide updates on  our progress ensuring that Waymo vehicles on Tokyo's public roads become accepted by Japanese society and a natural part of daily life.”

Guest: Yoichi Kise, President and CEO of East Japan Railway Company
“We have great respect for Waymo choosing Tokyo as the site for their first international city for testing, and also for Nihon Kotsu and GO's forward-looking approach. I personally rode in a Waymo autonomous robotaxi in the U.S. last year and was very impressed by its consistent and safe driving technology. I have been eagerly awaiting to see them running in Japan someday, and I admire the speed of everyone at Nihon Kotsu, GO, and Waymo to make it a reality. We at East Japan Railway Company are exploring ways to  link up with various services such as Suica to deliver stress-free and seamless transportation. Let us work together to solve Japan's mobility challenges and envision a better future together.” 

As we introduce Waymo to Tokyo, we will continue working closely with Japanese policymakers, regulators, and local safety officials. Together with the people of Tokyo, we will explore how Waymo can become a beneficial part of the city's transportation ecosystem, improving safety and mobility.