Toyota weaves Woven City into everyday life

Toyota has opened the doors to Woven City, a real-world town built to test the future of mobility. The launch took place in Susono City, Shizuoka, and it marks the project’s shift from concept to daily life with people actually moving in. Toyota and Woven by Toyota say this is now a living test course and a big step in the company’s shift from automaker to mobility company.

The idea is to bring in builders and thinkers. Let them try things with real residents. Learn fast. Toyota calls the builders “Inventors.” They include startups, big companies, researchers, entrepreneurs, and creators who will develop and test services inside the city. 

The plan leans on Toyota’s strength in manufacturing, Woven by Toyota’s software know-how, and the unique skills of each inventor to create “Kakezan,” a kind of multiplication where new ideas combine to form something more useful.

One of the first wave of 20 inventors is singer-songwriter Naoto Inti Raymi, the project’s first artist. He leads sound-focused collaborations, produced the city’s anthem, and helped set the tone for how culture can shape mobility. That brings the official Inventor count to 20 at launch.

Residents are part of the experiment, too. They are called “Weavers,” and their job is to live with the new tools and give feedback. Several Toyota Group employees and their families have already started moving in. Phase 1 targets around 300 residents. The city also plans to welcome general visitors starting the fiscal year 2026.

The launch day gathered inventors, residents, and partners for a community kickoff. Akio Toyoda, now Toyota’s chairman and “Master Weaver,” urged everyone to work together so the city can spark true Kakezan. His point was clear. No single group can build the future alone.

What makes Woven City different is the testbed it offers on the ground. Streets come in three kinds. One is only for people on foot. One is shared by walkers and small personal mobility devices. One is for vehicles. 

There is also a fourth route underground that lets teams run trials without worrying about weather or temperature. Traffic signals link with vehicles to boost safety. Street poles carry lights and signals, and they can also host sensors and cameras for experiments.

The early project list shows how wide the net is. Daikin is testing “pollen-less spaces” and tailored environmental comfort. UCC Japan is studying how coffee affects creativity and productivity. Nissin is exploring food settings that could spark new eating habits. DyDo is rethinking vending machines. 

There is even work on smoother human-pet living from Kyoritsu Seiyaku. Meanwhile, Interstellar Technologies is developing a tougher rocket production system with engineering support from Toyota and Woven by Toyota.

The e-Palette serves as a flexible electric platform for services, including food and beverage. A compact three-wheeled personal EV is being shared for safe and accessible point-to-point trips. There is also “Summon Share,” which uses small self-driving robots to bring shared vehicles to users. 

On the logistics side, Woven by Toyota is building a delivery platform that can later extend to cleaning and storage for daily life.

Woven City kicked off an accelerator under “Hack the Mobility,” calling on startups, entrepreneurs, universities and research groups worldwide to pitch ideas for Kakezan co-creation. Applications are open until 14 October 2025.