Waymo, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet, is taking its self-driving cars on their first international trip to Japan. The company is partnering with local taxi companies Nihon Kotsu and GO to deploy 25 vehicles in Tokyo, marking a significant milestone in its global expansion.

The Tokyo "road trip" is primarily aimed at collecting data about the nuances of Japanese driving, including left-hand traffic and navigating dense urban environments. The vehicles will be driven manually for the purpose of gathering mapping data and will be managed by Nihon Kotsu, a local taxi fleet operator. The first set of vehicles is expected to arrive in early 2025.

While Waymo has not announced plans to launch a robotaxi service in Tokyo, the partnership with GO, a popular taxi app in Japan, suggests that the company may be exploring opportunities to integrate its autonomous vehicles into local mobility services. This strategy is similar to Waymo's approach in the US, where it has partnered with Uber to offer autonomous rides in select cities.

Waymo's robotaxi business in the US is growing steadily, with approximately 700 vehicles in operation across several cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Phoenix. The company has also announced plans to launch a robotaxi service in Atlanta in partnership with Uber and is expected to expand to Miami in 2026. According to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Waymo is currently providing 175,000 paid trips per week, equivalent to about a million miles.

In Tokyo, Waymo's vehicles will be operated by trained autonomous specialists employed by Nihon Kotsu. Once the company feels confident in its technology, it will transition to hands-free autonomous driving with a safety driver behind the wheel. However, it remains unclear whether Waymo will eventually progress to fully driverless operations in Japan.

The vehicles will be geofenced to specific neighborhoods in Tokyo, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa, and Kōtō. This approach will allow Waymo to focus on understanding the unique challenges of Tokyo's urban environment and refining its technology for local conditions.

Waymo's expansion into Japan is significant, given the country's relatively slow adoption of autonomous vehicle technology compared to China and the US. Several companies have tested their autonomous vehicles in Japan, but the country's robust auto industry has largely focused its testing efforts in other countries. Toyota and Nissan, for example, are seeking to deploy robotaxis in China in collaboration with local operators.

By taking its autonomous vehicles to Japan, Waymo is projecting confidence in its technology, particularly at a time when other companies are scaling back their robotaxi projects. General Motors recently announced that it would no longer fund Cruise, its autonomous vehicle subsidiary, and would instead pivot to driver-assist technology and personally owned autonomous vehicles.

As Waymo continues to expand its global footprint, its Tokyo "road trip" marks an important step in understanding the complexities of international markets and refining its technology for diverse environments. While the company has not announced plans to launch a robotaxi service in Tokyo, its partnership with local taxi companies and data collection efforts suggest that Waymo is laying the groundwork for a potential future expansion into Japan's mobility market.