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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

All images: Toyota Motor Corporation