GO Inc.

Waymo, the autonomous driving technology company under Alphabet, said on September 15 that it plans to launch a full-scale driverless ride-hailing service in Tokyo by 2027, in partnership with Nihon Kotsu, a Japanese taxi company, and the GO travel platform. The service will start with a small number of vehicles before expanding to about 100 cars in key areas of Tokyo. Passengers will be able to hail either an ordinary taxi or a Waymo autonomous vehicle through the GO app and Waymo's own app. However, commercial launch still requires approval from regulators, as well as the completion of safety and operational reviews and verification. The three companies are working with ministries and government agencies to obtain the necessary permits. Waymo began supervised autonomous driving tests on Tokyo roads with GO and Nihon Kotsu in 2025, with Nihon Kotsu employees helping to adapt the system to narrow roads, heavy traffic and local driving conditions. Waymo currently provides more than 500,000 autonomous vehicle trips per week and offers autonomous driving services in 15 cities, and it sees the Tokyo launch as the next step in its overseas expansion. Japan is meanwhile pushing autonomous mobility to cope with an aging population and a shortage of drivers, and Tokyo has already designated specific areas to support the introduction of Level 4 autonomous services. GO and Waymo first announced their partnership with Nihon Kotsu in December 2024, when Waymo began preparing to adapt its technology to left-side traffic and the dense urban environment of Tokyo.