At an innovation exhibition on the busy streets of Yokohama on March 10, Nissan Motor Co.’s autonomous Serena minivan, equipped with 14 sensors, nine radars and six LiDar sensors, effortlessly navigated through the city, even as cars entered its lane and passed pedestrians. The vehicle maintained a top speed of 40 mph (25 km/h) and the smartphone app showed it off, putting Japan on track to join global leaders such as Google’s Waymo in autonomous driving.

The Nissan test is part of a broader effort to improve self-driving technology, especially as Japan grapples with a shrinking workforce and shortages of drivers. The demonstration vehicle, still classified as Level 2 automation, had a human in the passenger seat and remote operators at the company’s headquarters, ready to intervene if needed. Despite its approachable nature, Nissan plans to deploy 20 similar Way vehicles in Yokohama over the next few years, aiming for Level 4 autonomy by 2029 or 2030.

The autonomous test comes as Waymo, a major taxi company, prepares to launch its own Way self-driving fleet in Japan this year. Japan is seen as a laggard in adopting autonomous technology compared to the United States and China, but is making progress, with other companies such as Tier IV and Toyota also developing self-driving solutions.

However, there are challenges. Japanese food is high on the agenda, with concerns about liability for accidents involving driverless cars and cultural factors including high expectations for perfection. But Nishikori is confident in its technology, emphasizing its superiority over human drivers, using multiple sensors to continuously monitor its surroundings.