Horie Takafumi (堀江貴文) responded jokingly to discussion of autonomous-driving robotaxis, saying, “I’ll acquire a taxi company in advance.” The comparison between Japan’s regulatory framework and adoption overseas has sparked debate.
On 4 September, entrepreneur Horie Takafumi (堀江貴文) reacted on X to a post about the future of robotaxis in Japan. His response, “It looks very likely, so I’ll acquire a taxi company in advance, haha,” after a post by Kawabe Kentaro (川邊健太郎) was quoted, became a topic of discussion.
The article outlines how the practical implementation of autonomous driving has proceeded cautiously in Japan, while commercial robotaxi services are already being deployed overseas. Japan’s regulatory framework may leave ownership and operation in the hands of traditional taxi operators.
Kawabe expressed concern that deployment in Japan could lean toward maintaining the existing framework, while Horie’s comment provided food for thought about the future of regulation and competition. Although the remark was no more than a joke, some viewed it as underscoring once again the delay in Japan’s response.
Against the backdrop of discussions surrounding Japan’s Road Transportation Act and regulatory framework, the outlook for robotaxi adoption and competition remains uncertain. Readers remain interested in the debate and further information concerning future developments.