‘Weaving’ a story: The journey to Woven City begins
My journey to Woven City—Toyota’s experimental, fully connected “living laboratory” at the base of Mount Fuji—has been a long time in the making. Even as geopolitical tremors dominate the headlines, the prospect of setting foot in a test bed for artificial intelligence, robotics, and renewable energy is an opportunity I wouldn’t want to miss.
I have spent years reading about this prototype city: The AI-enabled homes that monitor occupant health, the green hydrogen fuel cells powering everything from generators to kitchen stoves, and the three distinct street types designed to harmonize pedestrians and autonomous vehicles. In this ecosystem, the Toyota e-Palette isn’t just a concept vehicle; it is the pulse of the city, handling everything from transit to mobile retail.
But as I prepare for this trip a few days before boarding my flight to Japan, I’ve realized that to understand Woven City, one must first understand the very fibers of its history.
The spirit of the loom
Why the name “Woven”? The answer lies in the very DNA of Toyota. While we know it today as an automotive giant, its story began with the automatic loom.
During a recent briefing by Toyota Motor Asia, Nanako Kumamoto, general manager of the Toyota Mobility Foundation, reminded us of Sakichi Toyoda. In the 1890s, Sakichi invented a hand loom to ease the burden on his mother, who spent her long evenings weaving fabric after a full day of housework and field work.
His desire to help someone other than himself led to the world-renowned Type G automatic loom in 1924. This spirit—thinking of others and creating well-being—is exactly what Woven City aims to “inherit and continue to weave.” It is a place where the past, present, and future converge.
The physical site of Woven City carries its own weight of history. The project is rooted in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. While many companies donated cash, Toyota chose a path of long-term sustainable support, building new facilities in the Tohoku area to create jobs and tax revenue.
This shift necessitated the closure of the Higashi Fuji plant in Susono City. Rather than letting that history fade, Toyota transformed the site. In 2018, the company announced its evolution into a true mobility company, and by 2020, the Woven City concept was born.
Defining ‘Mobility for All’
As I prepare to join a group of “weavers” (the term used for residents and visitors passionate about this connected future), I am struck by the scope of the mission. For Woven by Toyota, mobility isn’t just about cars. It’s categorized into four pillars: Mobility of people; mobility of goods; mobility of information; and mobility of energy.
As Pras Ganesh, Toyota Motor Asia executive vice president, noted, “Mobility for all is beyond cars. It is about providing people the opportunity to do something—to get an education, healthcare, or employment.”
The challenge is achieving this while remaining carbon neutral. Woven City serves as the ultimate test course to prove that a safe, secure, and sustainable mobility society isn’t just a dream, but a functional reality.
The Inventors’ Garage
In the coming days, I will be witnessing the official launch of “Phase Two” for the Inventors Garage. This is where hardware and software strengths are leveraged to expand the “fabric of life.”
The theme for this visit is “Kakezan”—a Japanese word for multiplication. It signifies “inventions by multiplication,” where innovation is multiplied by heritage. I expect to see many stories of how this heritage is being applied to the technologies of tomorrow.
I haven’t even cleared immigration yet, but the narrative is already unfolding. In my next dispatch, I’ll take you inside the gates of the Inventors Garage and share what it’s like to stand at the base of Mt. Fuji, looking directly at the future of how we move, live, and connect.
Stay tuned. The loom is set, and the story is just beginning to be woven.
