TOKYO, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Alphabet's autonomous driving unit Waymo, Japanese taxi app operator GO and taxi company Nihon Kotsu said on Tuesday they aim to launch Japan's first fully autonomous commercial taxi service in Tokyo in 2027.
The companies said they planned to start with a small fleet before expanding to about 100 vehicles across key Tokyo neighbourhoods, subject to regulatory approvals and the ongoing validation of Waymo's technology and operating model.
Once approvals are secured and the service is fully validated, it will operate without drivers and be available through both the GO and Waymo apps, the companies said in a joint statement.
"From day one, this will be an unmanned service for the public," Waymo Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana told reporters at a joint press conference in Tokyo.
"We'll grow our fleet responsibly over time, steadily operating until anyone in Tokyo can download an app and take a ride."
The announcement marks the latest step in Waymo's Japan push after the company began collecting data in Tokyo in 2025 using human-driven Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, its first public-road operations outside the United States.
The companies said the service could help address Japan's driver shortage and its broader population decline.
Japanese automaker Nissan has separately been working with British startup Wayve and Uber Technologies on developing robotaxis.
(Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Jamie Freed)
