Catching a taxi in Japan is as easy as shelling pears. It is estimated that more than 250 thousand cars run on the roads of the country, of which about 35 thousand are in the capital. The coloring of the car is not regulated by any rules. Instead of "checkers" familiar to the eye, the logo of the carrier company flaunts on the roof of the car. You can determine whether a taxi is free or busy by the luminous inscription behind the windshield. If busy, the light will be red, and the free car will flash green.
You can stop a taxi by raising your hand. In some areas, such as Tokyo and Ginza, there are specially equipped stopping points where people stand in line and wait for the arrival of a car. Such points can be seen near hotels, next to every train station.
Service price
The fare in a Japanese taxi is quite high. In addition, there are a number of features that a passenger needs to know:
- boarding a taxi costs 600 yen (on average), then the meter will add 90 yen every 300 meters;
- in a traffic jam, the "waiting" tariff begins to operate. Every 1 minute 45 seconds at this rate will cost 90 yen. This rule applies to any forced decrease in speed to 10 km / h;
- at night, the tariff increases by 20% and 30% after 22:00 and 23:00, respectively;
- if the taxi moves on a toll road section, the passenger will have to bear the cost of paying for the service;
- It is not customary to offer a tip to the driver and is considered impolite.
Taxi features in Japan
Most drivers' English is far from perfect. In order to be guaranteed to reach your destination, it is better to have a card or note with the hotel name or address in Japanese. In some cases, the driver may ask for directions on a map or navigator. In the capital and other big cities, taxis are often equipped with an automatic translator.
Taxi drivers are dressed in uniforms and a must-have accessory - white gloves. Some shipping companies require their employees to wear gauze masks. This is due to the increased suspiciousness of many passengers.
