Official announcements from Toyota or industry reports

Toyota's Futuristic Woven City at Mount Fuji to Welcome 100 Residents This Fall, Testing Advanced Technologies

Jan 7, 2025, 12:06 AM

Toyota Motor Corp. is set to launch its futuristic city, Woven City, at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan, with the first 100 residents, comprising Toyota employees and their families, expected to move in by this fall or shortly thereafter. The $10 billion project, which aims to become a living laboratory for testing advanced technologies such as autonomous vehicles, robotics, and artificial intelligence, will initially house 360 people in its first phase, with plans to expand to accommodate up to 2,000 residents in the future. Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda announced the progress at CES 2025, emphasizing the city's role as a hub for innovation and inviting startups and inventors to participate. Five new companies, including Daikin Industries, Nissin Food Products, UCC Japan, DyDo Drinco, and Zoshinkai Holdings, have joined the project to test and develop new technologies and services. Phase 1 of the construction has been completed, and companies such as WbyT, ENEOS, NTT, and Rinnai are also involved. Toyota has invested $500 million in Joby Aviation for electric air taxis, and the city's design is being led by famed architect Bjarke Ingels. The utilities will be powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology, and the project has earned Japan's first LEED for Communities Platinum certification.