Toyota Motor Corporation and Woven by Toyota, Inc. have officially launched Toyota Woven City in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The project, first announced at CES 2020, is designed as a real-world test course for mobility innovation and marks a significant step in Toyota’s transformation into a mobility company.
Woven City brings together two main groups: Inventors and Weavers. Inventors include enterprises, startups, entrepreneurs, research institutions, and other innovators who will develop and test new products and services within the city. Among them is singer-songwriter Naoto Inti Raymi, who joins as the first artist Inventor to lead sound-related co-creation activities. He has produced the Woven City Anthem and the project’s audio logo.
The number of Inventors now stands at 20. Woven City has also initiated an accelerator program with an open call for additional Inventors through the “Woven City Challenge: Hack the Mobility” competition. Applications are open until October 14, 2025.
The second group consists of residents and visitors known as Weavers. These individuals will live in Woven City, use its products and services firsthand, and provide feedback to help shape future innovations. The first Weavers—Toyota Group employees and their families—have begun moving in since September 2025. Phase 1 aims to accommodate about 300 residents, with plans to welcome general visitors starting in fiscal year 2026.
At the launch event titled “Woven City Official Launch: Weaving the Future―Day 01,” Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation and Master Weaver of Woven City, stated: “This is Master Weaver Akio Toyoda. What we will spark here at Woven City is Kakezan (‘multiplication’)! No single company can create meaningful Kakezan on its own; it takes at least two. So let’s gather our efforts, and with them our smiles. With plenty of smiles, doesn’t it feel like we really can weave a brighter future together?”
The city features several innovative elements such as a three-type road system (pedestrian-only roads, shared pedestrian-personal mobility roads, vehicle-dedicated roads), an underground road network for weather-independent testing, coordinated traffic signals for safety enhancements, and multifunctional poles that serve multiple purposes including hosting sensors for testing.
Multiple companies are participating as Inventors with projects ranging from creating pollen-less spaces (Daikin Industries) to developing innovative vending machines (DyDo DRINCO), new food cultures (NISSIN FOOD PRODUCTS), studying coffee’s effect on creativity (UCC Japan), advancing educational methods (Zoshinkai Holdings), rocket production systems (Interstellar Technologies), enhancing human-pet coexistence (Kyoritsu Seiyaku), developing soundscapes (Naoto Inti Raymi), versatile electric vehicle platforms (Toyota e-Palette), personal mobility vehicles (PMV), autonomous vehicle sharing (“Summon Share”), smart logistics solutions (WbyT), among others.
A total of 12 Toyota Group companies are confirmed as Inventors in this initiative.
Toyota continues to focus on developing connected, automated, shared, and electrified technologies while supporting sustainability goals such as those outlined by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. More information about these initiatives can be found at https://global.toyota/en/sustainability/sdgs/.
Akio Toyoda emphasized collaboration at the event: “No single company can create meaningful Kakezan on its own; it takes at least two.”
