Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Google’s parent Alphabet, plans to start fully driverless taxi services in Tokyo in 2027. This will be its first commercial robotaxi operation in Asia, running without any safety driver behind the wheel. The move marks a major step in Waymo’s global expansion beyond the U.S.
Waymo robotaxis are Level 4 autonomous vehicles that can drive themselves in mapped areas without human intervention. The service first launched commercially in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2020, and has since expanded to about 15 major U.S. cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, completing tens of millions of driverless trips. For Tokyo, Waymo is partnering with Japan’s largest taxi operator Nihon Kotsu and ride-hailing app GO, starting with a small fleet and scaling to around 100 vehicles.
Tokyo’s traffic is far more complex than most U.S. cities, with narrow streets, dense pedestrian crowds, and left-hand driving. Waymo chose Tokyo as its first non-U.S. test city in 2025 to prove its system can handle such challenges and tap Japan’s severe taxi-driver shortage. Testing so far has covered seven central wards,with Waymo vehicles navigating autonomously under supervision of trained Nihon Kotsu crew.
The 2027 launch still depends on *final regulatory approvals* from Japan’s national and Tokyo metropolitan authorities. Once cleared, riders will be able to book driverless Waymo trips through the GO app or the Waymo app, starting in key neighborhoods before expanding.
TOKYO TO BECOME ASIA’S FIRST CITY WITH FULLY DRIVERLESS TAXIS.
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.