Toyota Motor Chairman Akio Toyoda revealed Monday at CES 2025 his vision for a living laboratory chock full of startups and technology. His message: Woven City — a prototype city on a 175-acre site at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan — is open for business and searching for inventors.
“Today, I say to anyone in any corner of the world, inspired or excited to make a difference. Make a change or make it count. Please consider this your official invitation to join us at Woven City,” Toyoda said on stage. Toyoda said Monday that Woven City is preparing to launch in fall 2025, or shortly thereafter.
This summer, the company is launching a pitch competition and will offer scholarships to the Woven City for “startups or individuals who need financial support to bring their ideas to life,” Toyoda said.
Toyoda first shared his vision five years ago at CES 2020. Back then, the plans was to build a utopian city of sorts, where people would live and work amongst all of Toyota’s projects, including its autonomous e-Palette shuttles and robots.
But Toyoda’s vision has since expanded. While on stage, he touched on electric air taxis — specifically mentioning Joby Aviation, which it recently invested $500 million into — autonomous vehicle tech, and rockets. Yes, rockets.
Toyoda elaborated on his interest in rockets following the press conference, noting the idea is to use the technology to build robust telecommunications infrastructure, which will be needed to support autonomous vehicle technology. Woven City has made a 7 billion yen ($44 million) investment into startup Interstellar Technologies Inc. and will leverage Toyota’s expertise to support the mass production of rockets.
Surprisingly, Toyoda isn’t even sure if this effort will make money.
“I know what you are thinking with this Woven City, will make Toyota any money?” Toyoda asked the audience. “Well, maybe not, but that’s okay, because as global citizens, I believe Toyota has a responsibility to invest in our collective future, to share what we’ve learned with others, and support New ideas.”
The company broke ground on the project in February 2021 at the former site of Toyota Motor East Japan’s Higashi-Fuji Plant in Susono City. The first phase includes buildings designed for “co-creation” activities. Toyoda said on stage Monday that employees, scientists, entrepreneurs as well as retirees will be invited to live at Woven City.
Toyota is also renovating a former TMEJ Higashi-Fuji Plant facility into a manufacturing hub. Workers are preparing a site for Phase 2. However, that likely won’t start for some time as the company plans to take what it learned from Phase 1 to help it refine its plans for future development.
Some inventors have already joined Woven City, including WbyT, as well as external companies, startups, and individual entrepreneurs. Woven City is also in continued discussions with previously announced companies such as ENEOS Corporation, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, and Rinnai Corporation, according to the company.