Opening our doors to Tokyo riders in 2027 with Nihon Kotsu and GO
Imagine opening the GO or Waymo app after a late night after the subways have closed, or stepping out of a business meeting needing a refuge for a follow-up call. Your ride pulls up and you hop into a completely empty, fully autonomous vehicle. Soon, this will be a reality for riders in Tokyo. Building on Waymo’s foundation of serving tens of millions of commercial fully autonomous trips across 15 major U.S. cities, Waymo, Nihon Kotsu, and GO have officially agreed to prepare for the commercial launch of an unmanned Tokyo ride-hailing service in 2027.
Proven Scale Meets Authentic Local Service
Since Waymo arrived in Tokyo in 2025, our three companies have worked to prepare to serve riders. Over the past year, Waymo vehicles have learned the streets like a local, driving autonomously while supervised by trained Nihon Kotsu crew members—confidently navigating narrow neighborhood roads and safely maneuvering through dense crowds.
By combining Waymo’s industry-leading autonomous driving technology, GO’s premier mobility platform and rider reach, and Nihon Kotsu’s nearly century-long legacy of taxi operations and trusted service, we are building an on-demand, 24/7 service tailored to local expectations. This dependable new option will complement Tokyo’s world-renowned transportation network, while helping Japan support an aging population and address future labor shortages.
Tekedra Mawakana, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Waymo
Scaling autonomous mobility requires relentless dedication to safety and execution. Today, Waymo delivers over half a million trips each week while demonstrated to be over 15 times safer than human drivers. Expanding to Tokyo with our partners GO and Nihon Kotsu is the next chapter in that journey. By pairing our proven technology with the highest standards of local hospitality and operations, we look forward to earning the trust of Tokyo’s riders as they experience the magic of Waymo.
Hiroshi Nakajima, President, GO
Since our announcement in December 2024, we have been making steady progress in collaboration with Waymo, Nihon Kotsu, and various other stakeholders. We are very pleased to be able to share this progress with the people of Japan. Users will be able to hail both conventional taxis and autonomous trips with Waymo directly through the “GO” taxi app. To deliver this new mobility experience, we are launching as a full commercial service.
Yasuharu Wakabayashi, President, Nihon Kotsu
Over the past year, our professionally trained drivers have spared no effort in helping the 'Waymo Driver' adapt to Tokyo’s roads. The pride we have taken in providing safe, reliable, and comfortable high-quality transportation—a value we have cherished throughout our nearly 100 years of history of operating taxi services in Tokyo—remains unchanged even in the era of autonomous driving. I am convinced that this initiative, undertaken in partnership with Waymo and GO, represents a crucial opportunity—one that, while coexisting with human-driven taxis, will help address future driver shortages and pass on a safer, higher-quality transportation infrastructure to the next generation.
What Comes Next
Moving into this next phase, our partnership is actively expanding local operations and working closely with government ministries to secure the necessary permits and licenses. In tandem, we are validating the Waymo Driver and our joint operations, utilizing the same rigorous safety framework that has enabled Waymo to expand fully autonomous operations to 15 cities and counting.
Our intent is to serve our first fully autonomous trips to public riders in Tokyo in 2027. This timeline is contingent on securing regulatory approval from national and local authorities, as well as completing the ongoing validation of Waymo’s technology and our joint operations. The service will be accessible through both the GO and Waymo apps, launching with an initial fleet before gradually expanding to around 100 vehicles across key Tokyo neighborhoods.