Waymo's Driverless Vehicles Are Hitting Tokyo Streets. Here's Everything to Know About the Robotaxi Service

Self-driving cars are slowly becoming less sci-fi and more real-world as companies like Waymo, the driverless arm of Google's parent company Alphabet, expand into more cities -- and countries. On Wednesday, Waymo said it'll begin driving its vehicles on Tokyo's streets, making this the company's first international location. Waymo announced the expansion in December, which is happening in partnership with Japanese taxi service Nihon Kotsu and taxi app Go. Now, the US-based company is finally ready to hit the road abroad. Waymo says trained Nihon Kotsu drivers will manually drive its vehicles across seven Tokyo wards, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa and Kōtō. This will allow engineers to test and adapt Waymo's autonomous driving tech to local road features and traffic. "In Tokyo, we are abiding by the same steadfast principles that guide us in the US -- commitment to safety, dedication to earning trust in communities where we operate, and collaboration w ... Read full article.