Waymo will begin testing its autonomous vehicle technology in Tokyo in early 2025

Waymo is set to test its autonomous vehicle technology in Tokyo starting early 2025, marking the first time the Alphabet-owned company will operate its robotaxis on public roads outside the United States.

This move is part of Waymo’s “road trips” program, where it brings its self-driving technology to various cities to test unique driving conditions. Tokyo’s left-hand driving system and dense urban landscape will offer new challenges for the robotaxis.

So far, Waymo’s road trips have focused on U.S. cities, testing its vehicles under specific conditions like heavy rain in Miami or extreme heat in California’s Death Valley. Other test locations have included Washington, D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, and Buffalo. Typically, Waymo starts by manually driving vehicles through a city to map out certain areas before gradually testing in autonomous mode with a human driver onboard for safety.

In Japan, Waymo is partnering with local taxi-hailing app GO and taxi company Nihon Kotsu. Nihon Kotsu will handle vehicle management and maintenance throughout the program. Initially, its drivers will manually operate Waymo’s self-driving Jaguar I-Pace vehicles to map major areas in Tokyo, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa, and Kōtō. Waymo is also training Nihon Kotsu drivers to operate its autonomous vehicles as part of the partnership.

This news comes shortly after General Motors decided to shut down its Cruise robotaxi program. That move also ended plans for a driverless ride-hailing service in Japan with Honda. Just last year, GM, Cruise, and Honda announced their intention to launch a robotaxi service in Tokyo by 2026 using Cruise’s autonomous vehicle called The Origin.

Waymo’s expansion to Japan signals growing global interest in autonomous driving technology, even as some companies face setbacks.