The future has officially arrived, and Toyota is inviting you to be part of it.
The automotive manufacturer has unveiled its highly anticipated $10 billion “Woven City,” a futuristic, eco-friendly community in Shizuoka, Japan, where innovation will take center stage — and they’re looking for participants to help test tomorrow’s tech.
The ambitious project, first announced five years ago, was revealed as complete during a presentation at CES 2025 by Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda on Monday, reported What’s The Jam.
The city, which spans 12 acres, is being billed as a “living laboratory” where residents will double as guinea pigs for groundbreaking technologies in mobility, urban living and sustainability.
Dubbed a “living laboratory,” this groundbreaking community is built to test cutting-edge ideas in a real-world setting, with residents signing up as willing participants in the experiment. Jam Press/Toyota
“Woven City is more than just a place to live, work and play,” Toyoda said during the presentation. “[It’s] a place where people can invent and develop all kinds of new products and ideas.”
The first phase of the project is set to launch this fall, with around 100 initial residents — primarily Toyota employees and their families — moving in.
Over time, the population will expand to include outside inventors and entrepreneurs, with up to 2,000 people expected to live there as the project progresses.
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda revealed the project’s completion during a high-profile presentation at CES 2025 earlier this week. dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
From autonomous vehicles to energy-efficient technologies, Woven City is set to be a playground for experimentation by companies like Daikin, NISSIN, UCC Japan and other forward-thinking partners. Jam Press/Toyota
Built with “human-centric” designs to enhance quality of life, the city will test everything from autonomous vehicles to renewable energy solutions, with major partners like Daikin, NISSIN and UCC Japan contributing to the effort.
Residents will live in a high-tech environment where transportation, energy use and daily life are integrated into a seamless ecosystem designed for experimentation.
“Woven City is more than just a place to live, work, and play,” said Toyoda during the announcement. “It’s a place where people can invent and develop all kinds of new products and ideas.” Jam Press/Toyota
The futuristic city will launch its first phase this fall, welcoming 100 initial residents, including employees of Toyota and its technology subsidiary, Woven by Toyota (WbyT), along with their families. Jam Press/Toyota
“It’s a living laboratory where the residents are willing participants, giving inventors the opportunity to freely test their ideas in a secure, real-life setting,” Toyoda said at CES.
Toyota’s goals for Woven City extend far beyond tech gadgets — the company envisions the community as a hub for collaboration and problem-solving.
Startups, external businesses and individual entrepreneurs will work alongside Toyota’s own experts, leveraging the automaker’s decades of manufacturing know-how and Woven by Toyota’s software expertise to create solutions for some of society’s biggest challenges.
Over time, the population is expected to grow, with Phase 1 reaching 360 residents and later phases accommodating up to 2,000 people. Jam Press/Toyota
The eco-friendly city promises “human-centric” designs to enhance quality of life while seamlessly integrating innovative solutions for transportation, sustainability and urban living. Jam Press/Toyota
“Woven City is a test course for mobility where inventors who share a commitment to working for others can develop, test and validate innovative products and services,” Toyota said in a statement.
The futuristic community is not just about testing technology — it’s about reimagining urban living entirely.
Toyota believes the project has the potential to drive meaningful change in how people live, move and interact with their surroundings, all while gathering feedback from residents who will play a central role in what they see as “shaping the future.”
Read the full article here