- The Toyota Woven City, being built at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan, is almost ready to house its first residents
- Approximately 360 residents will move in later this year, and when complete, the city will house more than 2,000 residents
- The smart city serves as a real-world laboratory for the development of new mobility solutions
It was five years ago at CES that Toyota first announced plans to build a futuristic city at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan to showcase how cities could be reimagined around human-centric lines while still respecting the environment.
Called the Toyota Woven City, the first phase of construction is now complete, and the first residents will be able to move in during the fall, Toyota’s chairman, Akio Toyoda, announced on Tuesday during 2025 CES currently underway in Las Vegas.
The first phase can support up to 360 residents, but the city, when complete, will be able to house more than 2,000 residents. These will include some of Toyota’s employees and their families, as well as retirees, retailers, visiting scientists, and industry partners.
Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, whose team designed Google’s Mountain View headquarters, was commissioned to design the city, which is built from sustainable materials and powered by renewable energy, including hydrogen fuel cells and rooftop solar panels.
Toyota Woven City in Japan
Toyota previously said homes would have robots and sensors to monitor occupants’ health, and that all buildings, vehicles, and people would be connected through a citywide network managed by artificial intelligence. The AI will enable people to virtually interact with the city and its projects, Toyota said.
Toyota doesn’t plan to expand its operations into real estate development. Instead, the Toyota Woven City serves as a real-world laboratory of sorts for developments in mobility. It’s all part of Toyota’s wider goal to redefine mobility by broadening its focus beyond car manufacturing to include the mass movement of people, goods, information, and energy.
Toyoda mentioned some specific solutions the company may explore via Toyota Woven City. These included a fast wheelchair, drones that escort you home at night, interactive pet robots that provide support and companionship for the elderly, flying cars (which Toyota is working on in partnership with U.S. startup Joby), and even rockets to be mass-produced for the launch of commercial satellites.
