Toyota Motor Corporation (hereinafter Toyota) and Woven by Toyota (Woven by Toyota, hereinafter WbyT) announced on the 25th the official launch of the "Toyota Woven City (Toyota Woven City, hereinafter Woven City)", which was first unveiled at CES 2020.
To commemorate this launch, the two companies held a launching event at Woven City, located in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, inviting key stakeholders. As residents begin moving in and partner corporations start co-creating value, Woven City has taken its first steps as both a testing course for mobility and a key hub for Toyota's transformation into a mobility company.
Those corporations and individuals who develop and conduct demonstration tests of new products and services using Woven City are called inventors. By combining Toyota's manufacturing know-how, WbyT's software technology and each inventor's strengths and expertise, they aim to realize the Japanese concept of "kakezan (multiplication)", which creates new innovations and social value.
In particular, singer-songwriter Naoto Inti Raymi joined as the first artist among the inventors to lead co-creation related to sound. He produced the "Woven City Anthem" and the project's audio logo, bringing the total number of participating inventors to 20.
Woven City began recruiting on Sept. 8 through the "Toyota Woven City Challenge - Hack the Mobility," an accelerator program for broader participation targeting startups, entrepreneurs, universities and research institutions, in addition to inventors already confirmed to participate. It is accepting ideas from around the world to be tested in Woven City through Oct. 14, 2025.
Also, residents and visitors called "weavers" participate in inventions. Weavers play an important role in creating new innovations by directly experiencing products and services developed by inventors and providing user feedback. From Sept. 2025, some Toyota personnel and their families began moving in as the first weavers, and in phase one about 300 residents will ultimately live there. General visitors are planned from 2026 onward.
Along with the official launch, Toyota and WbyT held the "Woven City official launch: Weaving the future – Day 01" event. Inventors, weavers and partner communities gathered at the event, and leaders of the two companies expressed gratitude to everyone who shared the Woven City vision and challenged the future of mobility. On the day, Naoto Inti Raymi premiered the official theme song of Woven City, the "Woven City Anthem."
Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation and master weaver of Woven City, said, "The goal we want to achieve in Woven City is 'kakezan (multiplication)'! No single corporation can create meaningful multiplication alone. At least two companies are needed, and the more who join, the greater the impact. Let us pool our strengths and add smiles together. The multiplication of smiles can grow infinitely. Thinking that way, don't you feel we can truly weave a brighter future together?"
Toyota declared its transformation into a mobility company at CES 2018, and after announcing the Woven City concept at CES 2020, it has steadily prepared to turn the vision into reality with like-minded partners. Going forward, Woven City will conduct demonstration tests for the future of mobility, and the products and services that emerge there aim not to remain only in Woven City but to contribute to the happiness of people in Japan and around the world.
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