News On Japan

Employees Trial AI Lifestyle In Toyota’s Woven City

SHIZUOKA, Sep 26, 2025 (News On Japan) - Toyota has begun demonstration trials at its experimental city project known as Woven City on September 25th, with several employee households moving in to test how AI and autonomous driving technologies can be integrated into everyday life.

Within the city at the base of Mount Fuji in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, a dedicated test course for self-driving vehicles has been established, enabling experiments—such as synchronizing traffic signals with cars—that would be difficult to carry out on public roads.

Other initiatives include next-generation vending machines and cafes serving as platforms for testing new concepts, with researchers examining how advanced technologies can be woven into daily living.

The first phase of the project, covering roughly one-sixth of the planned area, has now welcomed its initial residents. Toyota says the number of participating companies will expand in the future as the project evolves.

Source: TBS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Large Typhoon No. 25 was moving north toward the Ogasawara Islands at 5 a.m. on September 19 and was forecast to pass near the Izu Islands and Kanto from September 20 through September 21, bringing the risk of torrential rain, violent winds and rough seas, with some areas expected to receive more than 300 millimeters of rain over 48 hours.

A black bear has been spotted near one of the most popular hiking trails on Mount Takao in western Tokyo, prompting authorities to urge visitors to take precautions ahead of the five-day Silver Week holiday and the approaching autumn foliage season.

Starbucks is considering selling a majority stake in its Japanese business, potentially valued at as much as $3 billion, or about 470 billion yen, as the U.S. coffee chain seeks to concentrate management resources on its struggling North American operations.

Japan's Halloween Jumbo Lottery went on sale nationwide on September 16, offering a combined top payout of 400 million yen for the first prize and its adjacent-number prizes.

A new top-tier "Supreme Class" offering fully private compartments above the level of Green Car service will debut on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen on October 1, with passengers able to experience the new seating at a demonstration booth at Shin-Osaka Station.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Web3 NEWS

The Tokyo Game Show, one of the world's largest gaming exhibitions, opened with a record 1,138 exhibitors as companies from a growing range of industries seek a foothold in Japan's expanding gaming market, with artificial intelligence emerging as one of the main attractions this year.

Police are warning of a nationwide surge in scams involving criminals posing as officers, with evidence emerging that generative AI may now be used to create fake identities during video calls and make the deception more convincing.

High school students in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, explored how humans and artificial intelligence might coexist in the future by interacting with an AI-powered humanoid robot during a class on September 11.

A medical institution opening in Nagoya's Showa Ward in October will use artificial intelligence-enhanced PET-CT and MRI equipment to produce clearer images and reduce the risk of cancer being overlooked during diagnostic examinations.

The rapid spread of generative artificial intelligence is fueling construction of data centers across Japan, but plans for two large facilities beside a residential neighborhood in Minoh, Osaka Prefecture, are raising concerns over sunlight, noise and low-frequency sound as authorities confront gaps in rules governing the increasingly important infrastructure.

Expectations are growing for the wider use of "physical AI" robots, but concerns over hacking, breakdowns and maintenance are prompting companies to develop new security and support systems as the technology moves closer to everyday use.

Isuzu Motors has begun full-scale development of a second-generation "AI truck" capable of making driving decisions on its own, as Japan's largest commercial vehicle maker by domestic market share aims to introduce Level 4 autonomous driving in fiscal 2027 to help address a worsening shortage of truck drivers.

Toridoll Holdings, the operator of Marugame Seimen, has introduced an artificial intelligence system trained on the thinking and speaking style of President Takaya Awata, giving employees a way to consult a virtual version of the company's founder as the restaurant group expands to around 1,200 locations in Japan and overseas.