NAGOYA – In the first test of its kind in Japan, a remote-controlled vehicle was tested Thursday on a public road in Aichi Prefecture, home to Toyota Motor Corp. and other auto firms. For the government-conducted test, the minivan traveled along a 700-meter road in the town of Kota with no one in the driver's seat and an assistant in the passenger seat. The route and traffic signs had been "memorized" by the system ahead of time. A member of the testing team operated the minivan remotely from nearby Kota Community Hall with the aid of video transmitted by the van's onboard camera. The assistant was present to stop the car in case of an emergency.