government and Tokyo Metropolitan government see driverless technology as a potential boon to the country’s aging population, according to research by the World Economic Forum. Tokyo has designated certain areas as “test zones” for self-driving cars hoping to hasten the arrival of safe driverless transportation systems there. Several developers are working on autonomous vehicles in Japan, including local startup Tier IV and ZMP, a robotics company that is testing delivery vehicles and buses in Tokyo. Monet Technologies, which is partly owned by Toyota , announced plans to test a self-driving taxi service in Tokyo’s Odaiba district earlier this year. Waymo’s Japan expansion announcement comes a week after General Motors announced it was abandoning its Cruise robotaxi division. Honda, an outside investor in Cruise, told CNBC that it aimed to launch a driverless ride-hail service in Japan in early 2026 but would re-assess those plans and make adjustments if needed. Prior to GM’s retreat from robotaxis, Cruise had been one of Waymo’s primary domestic competitors. WATCH: GM pulls the plug on robotaxi plan