Don’t Get Caught Up Trying to Catch a Taxi in Japan

| TOKYO RAD GIRLS | Posted by TokyoGirls'Update on Feb.27.2015

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When it comes to taxis in Japan, some of the most common remarks we hear from those visiting overseas are about how clean, comfortable, and clean they are. But those aren’t the only good things about taxis in Japan! In order to keep up with the ever-changing world, several taxi companies have started to offer a variety of different services for their passengers.

Care Taxi
http://www.nikkotaxi.jp/

There are “Care Taxis” which are driven by someone with nursing qualifications in order to support senior citizens or those with physical disabilities. They will take passengers to pick up their medications and wait while they go to and from their various medical appointments. With the aging population of Japan, this will be a valuable service in the years to come for sure.

Childbirth Taxi
http://www.nihon-kotsu.co.jp/taxi/use/jintsu.html

There is also a “Childbirth Taxi Service” where you can register your phone number, address, and hospital information with a company so that as soon as the phone call is made, a taxi will be dispatched immediately to take the mother directly to the hospital to give birth. Taking some of the stress out of the process of childbirth by providing a speedy journey to the hospital is undoubtedly a valuable service, don’t you agree?

Children Taxi
http://www.nikkotaxi.jp/

There is also a “Kids’ Taxi” service which will pick up and drop off children to their lessons or extracurricular activities.

Although we just introduced all these interesting new services available, for most people, the most common use of a taxi is when they are in a hurry or when their destination is a little too far for them to walk to and there are no buses or train stations nearby.

However because many Japanese have difficulty with English and many foreigners don’t understand or speak Japanese, being unable to reach some sort of mutual understanding can be frustrating. Have you ever given up trying to ride in taxi because of some similar situation? Don’t give up hope!

Sometimes going somewhere by train can be inconvenient because of the complex transportation network in Tokyo. With so many lines and different companies at different stations, a trip that might take less than 5 minutes by taxi could end up taking 30 minutes by train and that usually doesn’t include the walk from the train station to one’s destination either. Lastly, if you venture out to the less urban parts of Tokyo, the distances from the station can become even farther and with other forms of transportation running less frequently, a taxi can be invaluable!

In this episode of “Learn Tokyo” we will show you how to ride in a Japanese taxi and hopefully you won’t have to be intimidated anymore!

Call a Taxi!!! Nihon Kotsu : http://www.nihon-kotsu.co.jp/en/

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TokyoGirls'Update

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