Autonomous vehicles are on track to become a bigger part of daily life in Japan. Starting April 1, people will be allowed to use cars that run without a driver under certain conditions.

The change follows a revision to the Road Traffic Act that enables the use of Level 4 self-driving vehicles. That's one tier under full autonomy.

There are signs that both the public and private sectors are keen to get on board.

One company in the town of Eiheiji in central Japan has received government approval to operate four Level 4 cars for tourists.

They will run along a two-kilometer stretch of public roads at 12 kilometers per hour, and carry up to seven passengers.

The government plans to introduce self-driving transport services in about 50 locations nationwide within the next three years.

Some companies that are developing self-driving systems are working with local governments to put their technologies to the test.