Delivery of the future begins in aspiring smart city Minami-Osawa

The autonomous delivery robot Lomby, which began operating in Minami-Osawa. In May 2025, outdoor deliveries using the Lomby, stylized as LOMBY, autonomous delivery robot began in the Minami-Osawa area of Hachioji City in western Tokyo -- one of the pilot areas for Smart City Tokyo, an initiative to unlock Tokyo's potential through digital technology. Customers can now use the 7-Eleven delivery app 7Now to order items from Minami-Osawa stores, and have them delivered directly to their homes. We spoke to Tomoharu Uchiyama, CEO of Lomby Inc., the startup behind the robot's development, to learn more about building new logistics models for the future. The challenges we face in an aging society include labor shortages, and a growing number of those with limited access to groceries--those who find it difficult to go out and shop.