Sharing Economy

A Japanese developer has begun experimenting with homes that offer free car sharing instead of a parking space as more people in Japan's capital live without their own automobiles.

In a year that saw sharing-economy unicorns Uber Technologies, Lyft and WeWork struggle, a small Japanese startup closed 2019 with an impressive stock market debut.

From transportation to holiday homes, the “sharing economy” is gaining traction worldwide, and in typhoon- and earthquake-prone Japan the concept is increasingly seen as instrumental to disaster management.

Honda Motor has launched Japan's first scooter-sharing service, teaming with a SoftBank-backed startup in an effort to help offset falling motorbike sales in the country.

People living in areas without electricity in Africa are beginning to enjoy modern conveniences, thanks to solar powered gadgets they can rent from small shops.

Last December, Nature Innovation Group launched an umbrella-sharing service. Customers simply register their credit card information through Line, one of Japan's most popular messaging apps.

Toyota Motor Corp. is considering offering autonomous driving technologies to ride-hailing firms, sources close to the matter said Thursday, in its latest push to become a company offering not only cars but also various mobility services.

A trio of Japanese companies, headlined by SoftBank Group and Toyota Motor, will invest $1 billion in the autonomous vehicle unit of Uber Technologies, aiming to catch up with Google-spawned leader Waymo, the group announced on April 19.

Toyota Motor will let drivers pick a new Lexus twice a year for 194,400 yen ($1,770) per month, it said Tuesday, through a subscription service that will test how the sharing model fares in Japan's flagging auto market.

Japanese online service developer DeNA launched a free car-hailing campaign on Wednesday, in a bid to catch up with bigger competitors in an increasingly crowded market.