The World’s First Urban Lab Where “Everyday Life” Becomes an Experiment

At the base of Mt. Fuji, an unbelievable project is taking shape. Its name: Toyota Woven City.

Built from scratch by Toyota in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, this “experimental city” is designed as a place to test the future of everyday living.
The project that has caught the world’s attention will officially begin on September 25, 2025.

The first residents won’t be lottery-selected citizens, but Toyota employees, related company staff, and their families.
Starting with about 100 people, then 360, and eventually scaling up to a community of 2,000. After that, doors will open to external inventors and even general participants.

This isn’t just a showroom. It’s a city where everyday life itself is the experiment. Let’s break down what has been revealed so far about Toyota Woven City.

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First, check out this video. It’s a timelapse showing the progress of Woven City’s Phase 1 construction in 2024.
And yes, it really looks like they’re building a city straight out of SimCity.

@ToyotaGlobalNewsJP - THE MAKING OF WOVEN CITY 2024

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3 + Underground 1｜The Future of Streets

One of Woven City’s wildest features is its road design.
Three layers above ground (pedestrians / small mobility / autonomous vehicles) and one underground level for logistics.

That means safe, open space for people above, while technology quietly hums below.
This isn’t about showing off tech, but about upgrading everyday safety.

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Courtyards = The Future “Engawa”

At the city’s heart are courtyards and plazas.
These spaces are packed with ways for residents to engage with both nature and technology.

Grab a coffee from a café-style e-Palette and chat with neighbors about what could be improved.
Next door, the Kakezan Invention Hub lets startups and companies showcase services in a real-life environment.
It’s not a lab, not an expo hall ── but daily life itself, where real data and honest feedback are gathered.

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e-Palette = A Room on Wheels

The city’s symbol is without a doubt the driverless EV “e-Palette”.
In the morning it’s a school bus, by noon a delivery van, by evening a mobile supermarket or even a clinic.

It’s a “room on wheels” that supports everyday life, and every move is synced in real time to its digital twin.
Blurring the lines between physical and digital, vehicles here evolve from “transport” into living spaces. Straight-up futuristic.

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The City as a Giant Battery

Energy design is just as bold.
In partnership with ENEOS, renewable energy is converted into hydrogen, stored, and then supplied to the city. Surplus is stored as hydrogen, and when needed, reconverted into electricity.

Basically, the whole city functions as a massive battery.
Even in a blackout, life goes on. Woven City is aiming to deliver “a daily life where power never cuts out”.

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Residents = Inventors

Here, not only researchers and companies, but also residents and visitors are considered “Inventors.”

Everyday inconveniences get solved almost instantly ── today’s problem could be fixed by next month.
This system, where ordinary people drive innovation, is unlike anything else in the world.

Soon, external inventors and general participants will also join in, speeding up this real-life experiment of life × technology.

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A City That Mass-Produces Happiness

At its core lies Toyota’s founding spirit: “lightening the burden of mothers.”
Woven City declares itself “a city that mass-produces happiness”, not chasing a perfect final form but continuously updating how we live.

The future isn’t something to admire from a showroom. It’s already weaving itself into daily life ── that’s the real magic of this project.

@ToyotaGlobalNewsJP - Woven City CES 2025

In short, Woven City is currently a secret future city, accessible only to insiders.
But a peek into its everyday experiments is coming soon.
From 2026 onward, general participants can join as “Weavers” (co-creators).
If you’re curious, keep an eye on the official site.

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RAW JAPAN Comment

There are plenty of places calling themselves “smart cities” worldwide.
But Woven City is different: it’s obsessed with upgrading the ordinary.

A stroll, shopping, the relief of knowing your power won’t cut out ── how can those basics be reinvented?
This “living lab” at the foot of Mt. Fuji might just redefine what the future of daily life looks like, not only for Japan, but for the whole world.

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Toyota Woven City
https://www.woven-city.global/jpn/

Woven by Toyota, Inc. ©2025