Toyota Unveils New Development Hub in Woven City Repurposed from Former Factory

By Kentaro Otsuka / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

14:19 JST, April 25, 2026

Toyota Motor Corp. has unveiled a new development hub inside its Woven City demonstration site in Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture.

The new Inventor Garage, a repurposed building that once served as a pressing plant, began operations this month with the aim of fostering collaboration among companies across different industries and generating innovative inventions.

Woven City, a cutting-edge facility on the grounds of Toyota Motor East Japan Inc.’s former Higashi-Fuji Plant, was launched last September. Covering 24,000 square meters, the Inventor Garage features coworking spaces, workshops equipped with 3D printers and areas for conducting mobility test drives. Accommodation is provided on-site so that researchers can stay overnight to conduct experiments and work.

To preserve the factory’s history for future generations, the garage retains as much of its original character as possible. The steel framework is exposed, oil stains remain on the walls and the floor is scratched and dented.

Woven City’s current initiatives were introduced to the media on Wednesday. A coffee shop on the grounds makes use of artificial intelligence developed by the operating company, Woven by Toyota, Inc. With each customer’s permission, the system analyzes their behavior based on visual data from cameras to find a correlation between when a customer consumes coffee and their concentration levels.

Currently, around 20 companies and organizations are participating in Woven City, including Nissin Food Products Co. and Daikin Industries, ltd., and nearly 100 people reside there. The area, which has traffic lights, cafes and shops, resembles a small town. Many parts of the site remain unopened, but there are plans to open them and expand the site in the future.

Four new companies and organizations have joined the project, including DAM karaoke system provider Daiichikosho Co. and U.S.-based flying car developer Joby Aviation, Inc. Daiichikosho is developing “selection-free karaoke,” where AI suggests songs based on song selection trends and the users’ age group.

The demonstration city has also experienced some unique issues. For instance, the traffic lights have failed to turn green for over 30 minutes, and at night all the lights on the premises have turned on simultaneously.

At a briefing on Wednesday, Woven by Toyota CEO Hajime Kumabe said, “Amid waves of transformation, we are shaping what will become the norm for the next 100 years.”