{"data":{"news":{"items":[{"title":"Toyota Woven City completes Phase 1 construction and prepares for launch","date":"2025-01-13 00:01:07","id":5692,"author":"","blurb":"","blurb_image_uid":"https://dxfpracgmlczp.cloudfront.net/2025/01/1736516188777_Woven City Photo 03 copy 2.jpg","blurb_expanded_image_uid":null,"article":"\n\t\n\n\n

Toyota Motor Corporation has announced the completion of Phase 1 construction of Toyota Woven City, its test course for mobility. The launch of Phase 1 is planned to take place in the second half of 2025.

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Toyota first announced its transformation into a mobility company at CES 2018 and, at CES 2020, unveiled the Woven City concept being developed in collaboration with Woven by Toyota (WbyT) to demonstrate Toyota’s long-term commitment to shaping the future of mobility.

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Woven City has made steady progress since its groundbreaking ceremony on 23 February 2021, at the former site of Toyota Motor East Japan’s (TMEJ) Higashi-Fuji Plant in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Construction of Phase 1 buildings — the initial area for co-creation activities — was completed in October 2024. Preparations for the official launch are now underway.

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Woven City’s Phase 1 has also previously been recognised for its environmentally conscious and human-centric design aimed at enhancing people’s overall quality of life. It earned Japan’s first LEED for Communities Platinum certification, the system’s highest rank.

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Alongside Phase 1 preparations, renovation of a former TMEJ Higashi-Fuji Plant facility into a manufacturing hub for Woven City is underway, and site preparation work for Phase 2 has commenced. Toyota said insights from Phase 1 will help refine plans for Phase 2 and future phases, and continually enhance the test course’s functionality.

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Woven City is a test course for mobility where ‘inventors’ who share a commitment to working ‘for someone other than themselves’ can develop, test and validate innovative products and services. These inventors include Toyota and Toyota Group companies, such as WbyT, as well as external companies, startups and individual entrepreneurs.

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By leveraging Toyota’s manufacturing expertise and WbyT’s software capabilities, Woven City offers a unique environment equipped with the tools and services needed to tackle societal challenges and create future-focused value. According to Toyota, external startups, entrepreneurs, universities and research institutions are also scheduled to be invited to Woven City through an accelerator programme, starting around mid-2025.

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Toyota further revealed that at the official launch of Woven City later this year, approximately 100 residents — primarily Toyota and WbyT staff and their families — are expected to participate in co-creation activities as the first residents. The community will then gradually expand to include external inventors and their families.

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Phase 1 is projected to accommodate around 360 residents, with the total population, including Phase 2 and subsequent phases, expected to reach approximately 2,000. Initially, visitors will be limited to related parties, with plans to welcome the general public to participate as ‘weavers’ in co-creation activities starting in 2026 or thereafter. ν

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All images: Toyota Motor Corporation

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Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Fudosan Co Ltd and Toyota Alvark Tokyo Corporation have unveiled the Tokyo A-Arena project, a next-generation arena to be built on the site of the former Toyota showroom facility Mega Web in Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

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Covering a site area of approximately 27,000 sq m, the sports venue will have a capacity of about 10,000 people. It is scheduled to start operations in the second half of 2025. Toyota is the landowner, Toyota Alvark Tokyo is the operator, and Toyota Fudosan is the builder-owner that will be responsible for the development of the project.

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Toyota Alvark Tokyo, a member of the B. League First Division, will use the new arena as its home court. It will also stage indoor sports such as volleyball and table tennis, urban sports, parasports, e-sports and more.

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“This arena will become the new home of Alvark Tokyo, Toyota’s basketball team; but we hope it will also become a sacred ground for all kinds of other competitions, and provide power to parasports and competitions with a low number of competitors, low recognition and few supporters,” said Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota and chairman of Toyota Fudosan.

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The project is located in a corner of Palette Town in the Aomi district. “It will comprise three facilities: the main arena, the sub-arena and the Alvark building,” explained Tomohide Yamamura, president of Toyota Fudosan.

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“There are two rooftop spaces outside the arena: the Family Park and the Sports Park. We hope that the diverse use of these spaces will create a lively atmosphere outside the arena 365 days a year.”

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A wide range of seating options will be available, added Mr Yamamura, including various VIP seats and a Sky Lounge with a view of the Aomi area.

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As for sustainability, the facility will target the LEED certification. “While there are currently no LEED-certified arenas in Japan, we hope to achieve an international level in terms of the environment,” said Mr Yamamura.

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Furthermore, the project is expected to foster sustainable lifestyles. “For example, we hope to gain cooperation in recycling and reusing waste generated by the facility and minimise plastic waste and food loss by organising food drives in collaboration with the local community,” said Kunihiko Hayashi, president of Toyota Alvark Tokyo.

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“We will also take other measures to promote sustainable lifestyles while making use of the technologies and knowledge of our partners.”

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Mr Hayashi continued, “As a new landmark in Aomi, the arena is potentially a driving force for making the area more attractive, along with the redevelopment of neighbouring Ariake and other projects.”

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Mr Toyoda further revealed that, apart from using Toyota’s mobility technology, the three partners plan to collaborate with various companies in adopting their services and technologies to enhance the arena experience. “Our goal is to open up the potential of mobility technology and create an unprecedented arena experience.”

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All images: Toyota

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Toyota Motor Corporation and Woven Planet Holdings, Inc., the Toyota Group company responsible for a wide range of mobility development projects, recently held the groundbreaking ceremony for Woven City. The event took place at the old vehicle yard adjacent to the former Higashi-Fuji Plant site of Toyota Motor East Japan, Inc. (TMEJ).

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“I would like to express my appreciation to the people of Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and other local communities, as well as our construction partners, who have given us tremendous support for the Woven City project,” said Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corporation.

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“Taking action as one has decided is never an easy task under the Covid-19 pandemic. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to all those involved in the project for their hard efforts to make this happen.”

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Mr Toyoda highlighted the three unwavering principles of Woven City: a human-centred city, a living laboratory, and an ever-evolving city. “Together with the support of our project partners, we will take on the challenge of creating a future where people of diverse backgrounds are able to live happily.”

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Kazuhiro Miyauchi, president of TMEJ added, "I am deeply grateful for having had our Higashi-Fuji Plant operate here for 53 years with the support of the local community. The knowledge and expertise we acquired from all of the people who worked at the plant must be carried on into the next chapter.

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“With the conviction that Woven City will stand not on mere empty land but where the history of the Higashi-Fuji Plant lies, I will offer the greatest possible collaboration in the future.”

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To prepare for an era in which all ecosystems that support everyday life are connected with data, Toyota announced the development of Woven City at the CES exhibition in Las Vegas, the US, in January 2020. The project aims to continuously create advancements that will help better society by accelerating the cycle of technology and development of services.

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In Toyota's shift from an automobile manufacturer to a mobility company, Woven City will bring new technology to life in a real-world environment across a wide range of areas, such as automated driving, personal mobility, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI). The project is expected to provide a number of opportunities for businesses and researchers around the world.

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Woven City will feature three types of streets interwoven with each other on the ground level: one dedicated to automated driving, one to pedestrians, and one to pedestrians with personal mobility vehicles. There will also be an underground road used to transport goods.

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The community will start with roughly 360 residents, mainly senior citizens, families with young children, and inventors and will eventually have a population of more than 2,000 individuals including Toyota employees. The infrastructure of Woven City intends to create an environment where inventions with the potential to solve social issues are created on a timely basis.

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Photos and video: Toyota Motor Corporation
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\nRelated News:
\nToyota to build prototype city of the future - the Woven City

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Toyota has just revealed its plans to build a prototype ‘city’ of the future on a 175-acre site at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan. Called the Woven City, the development will be a fully connected ecosystem powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

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Envisioned as a ‘living laboratory,’ the Woven City will serve as a home to full-time residents and researchers who will be able to test and develop technologies such as autonomy, robotics, personal mobility, smart homes and artificial intelligence (AI) in a real-world environment.

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“Building a complete city from the ground up, even on a small scale like this, is a unique opportunity to develop future technologies, including a digital operating system for the city’s infrastructure. With people, buildings and vehicles all connected and communicating with each other through data and sensors, we will be able to test connected AI technology... in both the virtual and the physical realms... maximising its potential,” said Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corporation.

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According to Toyota, the company will extend an open invitation to collaborate with other commercial and academic partners and invite interested scientists and researchers from around the world to come work on their own projects in this one-of-a-kind, real-world incubator.

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“We welcome all those inspired to improve the way we live in the future, to take advantage of this unique research ecosystem and join us in our quest to create an ever-better way of life and mobility for all,” said Mr Toyoda.

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For the design of Woven City, Toyota has commissioned Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels, CEO of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). “A swarm of different technologies are beginning to radically change how we inhabit and navigate our cities. Connected, autonomous, emission-free and shared mobility solutions are bound to unleash a world of opportunities for new forms of urban life. With the breadth of technologies and industries that we have been able to access and collaborate with from the Toyota ecosystem of companies, we believe we have a unique opportunity to explore new forms of urbanity with the Woven City that could pave new paths for other cities to explore,” said Mr Ingels.

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Design of the city

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The masterplan of the city includes the designations for street usage into three types: for faster vehicles only; for a mix of lower speed, personal mobility and pedestrians; and for a park-like promenade for pedestrians only. These three street types weave together to form an organic grid pattern to help accelerate the testing of autonomy.

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The city is planned to be fully sustainable, with buildings made mostly of wood to minimise the carbon footprint, using traditional Japanese wood joinery, combined with robotic production methods. The rooftops will be covered in photo-voltaic panels to generate solar power in addition to power generated by hydrogen fuel cells. Toyota plans to weave in the outdoors throughout the city, with native vegetation and hydroponics.

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Residences will be equipped with the latest in human support technologies, such as in-home robotics to assist with daily living. The homes will use sensor-based AI to check occupants’ health, take care of basic needs and enhance daily life, creating an opportunity to deploy connected technology with integrity and trust, securely and positively.

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To move residents through the city, only fully-autonomous, zero-emission vehicles will be allowed on the main thoroughfares. In and throughout Woven City, autonomous Toyota e-palettes will be used for transportation and deliveries, as well as for changeable mobile retail.

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Both neighbourhood parks and a large central park for recreation, as well as a central plaza for social gatherings, are designed to bring the community together. Toyota believes that encouraging human connection will be an equally important aspect of this experience.

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Toyota plans to populate Woven City with Toyota Motor Corporation employees and their families, retired couples, retailers, visiting scientists, and industry partners. The plan is for 2,000 people to start, adding more as the project evolves.

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The groundbreaking for the site is scheduled to take place in early 2021.

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Any parties interested in partnering with Toyota on the development of Woven City, please check: woven-city.global

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All images: Bjarke Ingels Group

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