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06/23/2020 admin 0 Comments

For the average traveler in Japan's major cities, taxis are an expensive and unnecessary alternative to efficient public transport. However, taxis are often the only way to travel when trains and buses stop around midnight, resulting in a sudden increase in demand, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings when long queues and waiting times at taxi ranks at train stations are not uncommon.

In smaller towns, rural areas and in Kyoto, public transport is generally less convenient, so taking a taxi from the nearest train station to your destination may be a good alternative. If you're traveling in groups of three or more, taxis can also be an economical option for shorter trips.

general information

Taxis (タクシー) are very popular in Japan, despite the excellent public transport. Moreover, it is used not only by tourists, but also by the Japanese themselves. You can find such cars not only in busy cities, but also in small towns.

There is no single color to indicate whether a car is a taxi. Each car is painted in the colors of its company, and on the roof, instead of the usual checkers with the inscription “Takhi,” there are plastic signs with the company logo.

Tokyo Metro

The Tokyo metro is one of the three busiest in the world. The Tokyo Metro is operated by two companies: the private Tokyo Metro (9 lines) and the municipal Toei (4 lines). Each metro station is numbered and has a letter and number code and color. For example, E15, where E is the line code, and 15 is the station number on the line. Accordingly, E15 is the Monzen-Nakachō station on the Oedo Line.

Also, one metro station can have 2 codes, since it is located at the intersection of 2 lines. Free Wi-Fi is available at almost all Tokyo subway stations. You can navigate the metro by following the signs: yellow boards lead to the exits, and blue boards lead to the cars.

It is worth considering that Tokyo Metro and Toei are different operators and to travel you need to purchase different tickets, or tickets with the possibility of transfers. Holders of PASMO or Suica travel cards can easily transfer to the lines of another operator. Without passing through turnstiles, you can change from one operator's line to another only on the Mita line, where it intersects with the Namboku line between Meguro and Shirokane-Takanawa stations.

Features of taxis in Japan

Taxis in Japan can surprise foreign tourists. Firstly, you should not try to open the door yourself, it is automatic. Having stopped the car, the taxi driver will open it both when boarding and when disembarking.

It is worth remembering that traffic in the country is on the right. It is customary to sit on the left side, and the driver sits on the right.

All taxi drivers wear a uniform. Usually this is a strict dark suit, a vest with a white shirt, shoes polished to a shine and, most importantly, white gloves, without which they do not drive.

Inside, tourists will see lace capes that cover almost everything inside the cabin, from the seats to the door handles.

Conversing with a taxi driver will be a labor-intensive process; the fact is that most of them do not speak foreign languages. Before your trip, you should take a phrasebook. Also in cars in large cities you can find electronic voice translators that can amuse both the driver and passengers with their variants of words.

Smoking in taxis is generally prohibited, and tipping is not accepted and is considered impolite.

Japanese taxi types and tariffs.

Taxi drivers in Japan are generally very reliable and will not try to take advantage at the expense of their customers. Licensed taxis can be identified by their green license plates, as opposed to the white and yellow license plates of regular cars. In some places frequented by foreign tourists, such as Narita Airport, there are rare instances of unlicensed taxis, which are best avoided. Fares are almost always calculated using a meter. The only exceptions are a few popular tourist and airport routes, where a predetermined flat rate may be offered.

Taxi fares vary slightly depending on the region, company and vehicle size. Typically, you will encounter three classes of taxis. Large taxis have an engine capacity above 2000 cc. cm and carries up to five passengers. Medium and small taxis are the most numerous and have an engine capacity of 2000 cc. cm or less and can carry up to four passengers. Medium and small taxis differ only in the length of the vehicle and, accordingly, the size of the passenger compartment.

When using a standard taxi for four passengers, fares usually start at about 400-700 yen for the first two kilometers and increase by about 80-90 yen for each subsequent 300-400 meters. The cost also increases when the taxi is not moving for a long time. In the late evening (usually from 10 pm to 5 am), rates increase, usually by 20 percent. If a taxi uses expressways, expressway tolls are added to the fare.

Uber.

Even though Uber has an app in Japan, its ride-sharing services are illegal here, so it functions as a taxi-hailing app. It is only available for use within Tokyo.

Taxi called through apps.

Japan Taxi.

JapanTaxi has the best coverage in the country with over 53,000 vehicles in all 47 prefectures. Using the app, you can book a car, calculate fares, and even pay your fare (using online payment or credit card payment).

LINE Taxi.

For those in Japan already using the LINE app, this is an extension of the already existing LINE app, making it easy to use for those already familiar with the interface. To register, users will need a Japanese phone number and a valid credit card. The app can be used in most metropolitan areas throughout Japan.

Takkun Taxi Tokyo.

Only available in 23 areas of Tokyo, plus Mitaka, Musashino and Tama areas. However, the service works with most Tokyo taxi companies, so there are many vehicles available. When using this service, a transfer fee will apply (same as when booking by phone).

Tips for tourists.

Most taxi drivers do not speak English, but many companies provide a telephone translation service if needed, or a leaflet indicating where you are going. However, the easiest way to get to your destination is to be well prepared. If you have the address either on your phone or on paper, ideally written in Japanese, this will make everything easier. Additionally, if you know the attractions near your destination, this can be helpful if the driver does not know the exact destination, or knows that he cannot directly access that address.

Booking a taxi before you go somewhere is a great way to make sure you get a car when you need it most. Some companies also offer transparent rates for certain distances, especially for airport transfers. Others will require an additional fee when you book in advance (usually around 400 yen or so).

While many taxi companies in Tokyo have an English website, apps and multilingual call centers, booking taxis in English may be more difficult in other regions.

How to catch a taxi in Japan

You can hail a taxi on the side of the road in Japan by simply waving your hand. But you can see whether a car is passing freely or not by looking at the icons under the windshield. A red sign with the characters 空車 means that the car is free, but a green sign 賃走 indicates that the car is occupied.

When asked whether the Japanese mixed up the icons, we answer: “No. That’s right, because in dense city traffic the red color of the sign will be visible much further.”

Taxis can be found at large specialized sites. There are such places in large cities, for example, in the Ginza area in Tokyo, where it is prohibited to stand on the side of the road. During morning and evening rush hours, you can see queues of people queuing for taxis.

Parking lots with cars are located near metro stations, shopping centers, and transport stops. There are taxi stands near airports.

You can also order a taxi at the hotel or restaurant. Administrators can help with this.

Where can I find a taxi?

You can see a taxi rank in front of almost every station. But the Japanese unanimously ignore their existence from 5:00 to 00:30, because at this time trains transport them to their offices without interruption. But after midnight there are no other types of transport left. And then the Japanese who work late have to choose: either sleep at home, paying the taxi driver, or look for accommodation for the night somewhere near their place of work.

Taxi stands, especially somewhere on the periphery, are sometimes empty. Therefore, there are other options to find a means of transportation. Sometimes there are taxis with a red light on, which means that the car is free. If there is already someone in the car, the yellow light comes on. The green one will indicate that a night rate is in effect. By the way, a taxi driver is unlikely to agree to take several passengers to different addresses in one trip.

In Japan, the concept of sharing a car is almost non-existent, even if you go to the same area and plan to leave two streets earlier than other customers. Only sometimes does one of the foreigners manage to come to an agreement among themselves and persuade the driver to drop everyone off one by one, receiving the full amount from the last passenger.

Germany: pedantic “cab drivers”

The German love of order also extends to taxis. Car interiors in Germany are always perfectly clean, and drivers are gallant and calm. Passengers are served mainly by Mercedes E-Class with a diesel engine. In order to become a taxi driver in Germany, you must undergo a medical examination, pass psychological tests and pass a test on your knowledge of the city and its “outbacks”.

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English cabs

In modern England, the world-famous black taxis - cabs - are considered one of the symbols of the country.

There are two different classes of taxis in the UK. Black cabs are designed for the privileged class. Cars that can accommodate up to five people are allocated special lanes on the road. You can hardly be late with such cars, but the cost speaks for itself. They are diluted by more economical minicabs with advertising prints on the body, which only work when ordered by phone and cannot pick up passengers from the street.

UAE: Women's Taxi

In the United Arab Emirates, taxi drivers always wear a special uniform. Absolutely all cars are equipped with air conditioning or climate control. Only the poorest people travel by bus in this country.

Recently, women's taxis appeared in the UAE; the cars are painted pink, and the drivers are women. Taking into account the peculiarities of the local mentality and culture, in Arab countries only representatives of the fairer sex can use the services of a female taxi.

Taxi City - New York

Yellow cars with checkers are an integral style of New York. The metropolis is considered a record holder for the number of individual urban transport. This is explained by the fact that taxi drivers here are only allowed to work by picking up people along the way. Calling a taxi, as in other countries, is impossible here, you can only catch one.

Taxi in New York. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

American taxi drivers also have similarities with Russian ones: they speak English poorly (the majority are emigrants) and often violate traffic rules. Passengers ride only in the back seat, and the driver's area is fenced off with a special transparent partition with a window.

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Brazil and Australia: Air Taxi

Flying taxis are common in Brazil. Despite the high cost, the popularity of small airplanes or subcompact helicopters is very high. This is due to frequent traffic jams throughout the city.

The standard of living of Australians makes it possible to order an air taxi quite often. In addition, this is justified by the distances covered and the speed of movement.

Helicopter over Sao Paulo. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

And Australian overland taxi drivers are required by law to carry an armful of hay. Violators may be fined. The law was adopted in the days of cab drivers, who could feed a tired and hungry animal with stored hay. Since then, the document has been awaiting revisions, and the burden of transporting the grass lies with taxi drivers.

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