Toyota is preparing to launch one of the most advanced smart city projects in the world, called Woven City. This futuristic city is being built at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan, on the site of a former Toyota factory.
The company first revealed the idea at CES in 2020, calling it a “living laboratory” where new technology can be tested in real life. After years of planning and construction, Woven City is expected to welcome its first residents in fall 2025.
The city covers 175 acres and is designed to test everything from autonomous vehicles and smart homes to clean energy systems and robotics. At first, it will house about 100 people, most of them Toyota employees and their families. Over time, the number of residents is expected to grow to 360 in the first phase and eventually reach 2,000.
Toyota wants this city to be a place where people can live comfortably while also helping to shape the future of technology and urban life. Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota’s Board of Directors, described the project during a press conference at CES.
He said, “Woven City is more than just a place to live, work, and play. Woven City is a place where people can invent and develop all kinds of new products and ideas. 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.”
Woven City will have two main groups of people. One group, called the “Inventors,” will be the people who create and test new technologies. The other group, called the “Weavers,” will be the people who live in the city and use the technology in their daily lives. These residents will give feedback and help improve the ideas being tested.
The city will run on clean energy, using hydrogen fuel cells and solar power to supply electricity. Buildings will be designed to be smart and sustainable, with technology to monitor health, save energy, and improve quality of life. Water recycling systems and eco-friendly waste management will also be part of the plan.
The streets of Woven City will be divided into three types. One will be for fast autonomous vehicles. Another will be for slower forms of movement, like bicycles and scooters. The third will be for pedestrians only, designed like a park for people to walk safely.
Toyota’s e-Palette vehicles, which are electric and self-driving, will move people and goods around the city. Goods will also be transported through underground delivery systems, keeping the streets clear and safe.
Each building and street in the city will be connected through sensors and artificial intelligence. This will allow the city to collect data and adjust how it works in real time. It will be a digital city where technology and people live together in harmony.
Even though the city is still under construction, Toyota has finished the first phase. In 2025, they will invite the first group of residents to move in. These will include employees from Toyota and its technology company Woven by Toyota. Later, outside inventors and their families will also be allowed to live there.
Toyota said that the first inventors include a vending machine company and a startup working on futuristic café experiences. Toyoda also talked about more creative ideas during the press event. He mentioned motorized wheelchairs that allow disabled people to move fast, a personal drone that follows joggers for safety, and robotic pets that can help elderly people feel less lonely.
The city’s buildings are designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, known for creating futuristic designs that blend technology with nature. As more phases are completed, Woven City will offer homes, labs, and parks for up to 2,000 people to live and work all year round.
Woven City is currently not open to the public, but Toyota plans to allow visitors starting in 2026. The goal is to create a model that can be copied in other countries. As cities around the world face challenges like climate change, traffic, and aging populations, Toyota hopes Woven City can show a better way forward.
The name “Woven City” comes from the idea of weaving together three types of streets for different kinds of transportation. But it also means something bigger — it’s about weaving together people, technology, and daily life into one smart, sustainable community.
Woven City has already earned Japan’s first LEED Platinum certification for communities, which means it meets the highest standards for sustainability. Toyota’s project could also become a leading example for how smart cities are built in the future.
