How we know: the joint announcement on Waymo's "Waymo in Japan" page and GO's release (Sept. 15, 2026); Waymo's Mar. 30, 2026 Tokyo update; The Japan Times (Jan. 25, 2026); Waymo's Dec. 16, 2024 blog post and The Verge's report the same day.
TransportationCase study
Waymo and two Japanese partners aim for driverless taxis in Tokyo in 2027
After more than a year of supervised testing in seven central wards, Waymo, GO and Nihon Kotsu say paid rides with no one at the wheel could start next year. Permits come first.
TOKYO, September 2026 — Waymo's first test outside the U.S. now has a target date for paying riders. Here's what was announced, what it cost, and what went wrong.
Cost and outcome (as of Sept. 15, 2026)
- Target: fully driverless commercial rides in Tokyo in 2027, pending approvals. (Waymo)
- Fleet: an initial fleet growing to about 100 vehicles. (GO)
- Riders served so far: none; testing only. (The Japan Times)
- Cost: not disclosed.
How it started
Waymo announced the Tokyo "road trip" on Dec. 16, 2024, calling it its first international one. Nihon Kotsu would manage and service the cars, and its drivers would first drive them by hand to map Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa and Kōtō. The Verge reported that about 25 vehicles would be sent. A Waymo spokesperson, Sandy Karp, told it: "we have no plans to serve riders in Tokyo at this time."
What the testing looked like
Nihon Kotsu drivers have driven Waymo vehicles since April 2025, on roads from wide arteries to narrow local streets, GO chairman Ichiro Kawanabe said at a Mar. 27, 2026 media briefing in Tokyo. Waymo says its cars later began driving autonomously with trained Nihon Kotsu crew supervising from behind the wheel.
In January 2026, The Japan Times reported that the public still couldn't hail one, and that Nihon Kotsu wasn't saying when that would change. Mai Niizoe, a senior researcher at the Tokyo think tank Sompo Institute Plus, told the paper 2026 would be a key year if Japan wanted to catch up.
What was announced
On Sept. 15, 2026, the three companies said they had agreed to prepare a commercial, unmanned ride-hailing service in Tokyo and aim to start it in 2027. GO's release describes it as Level 4 fully driverless operation and says it would be Japan's first such commercial taxi service. Rides would be bookable in both the GO and Waymo apps, around the clock, according to Waymo.
The roles are split three ways, according to GO. GO coordinates with local taxi operators and runs its app. Waymo supplies the driving technology, operating systems and fleet management tools. Nihon Kotsu handles on-the-ground operations and depots.
What has to happen first
The start date depends on national and local approvals and on finishing the testing of Waymo's technology and the joint operations, Waymo says. GO says the formal launch date will be set only after safety is confirmed and permits under Japan's Road Traffic Act and Road Transport Act are in hand.
What the companies said
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said Waymo gives more than half a million trips a week and has been shown to be over 15 times safer than human drivers. Those are Waymo's figures. GO president Hiroshi Nakajima said riders will be able to hail ordinary taxis and Waymo cars in the same app. Nihon Kotsu president Yasuharu Wakabayashi said the service would sit alongside human-driven taxis and help cover future driver shortages.
What went wrong
- A moving target. In December 2024, Waymo had "no plans to serve riders" in Tokyo. Now it says 2027, if regulators agree.
- No public data. None of the sources we read gives test mileage, disengagements or incidents in Tokyo.
- What we don't know yet: the fares, the vehicle model for the paid fleet, and which areas it will serve first.
Our follow-up question for Waymo
How many autonomous kilometers has the Tokyo fleet driven, and how often did crews have to take over?
Sources
- Waymo, “Waymo in Japan” (joint announcement with GO and Nihon Kotsu, "Opening our doors to Tokyo riders in 2027"), Sept. 15, 2026. waymo.com
- GO, “GO、Waymo、日本交通 自動運転タクシー商用化の実現に向けて合意 2027年中に国内初の完全無人タクシー運行を目指す,” Sept. 15, 2026. goinc.jp
- Waymo, Tokyo media briefing update (Japanese summary of Mar. 30, 2026 blog post), on the “Waymo in Japan” page. waymo.com
- The Japan Times, “Waymo-backed robotaxis quietly ply the streets of Tokyo as tests continue,” Jan. 25, 2026. japantimes.co.jp
- Waymo, “Partnering with Nihon Kotsu and GO on our first international road trip,” Dec. 16, 2024. waymo.com
- The Verge, Andrew J. Hawkins, “Waymo is sending autonomous vehicles to Japan for first international tests,” Dec. 16, 2024. theverge.com
© 2026 Real World Wire. Written October 26, 2026.