Japanese taxi
We once sat down, out of inexperience, in a Japanese taxi; it was necessary to ride to the nearest department store in an unfamiliar city … If someone thinks that we did not like the trip, then he is mistaken. I also liked the price tag, since then I haven’t taken a taxi in Japan, it’s better to walk or ride a bicycle.
The main joke of Japanese cities, which is faced by a foreigner who first came to Japan, remains the order of numbering of buildings. On the same street, quite calmly, two steps away from each other, there can be, say, building No. 1 and No. 25. All this is because the numbering is carried out on the streets of Japanese cities according to the seniority of buildings. Which house was built before, that will be the first in order. Therefore, without knowing exactly where which building is located, getting lost in Japanese megacities such as Tokyo is a couple of nonsense.
Then a taxi comes to our aid. Taxis are different, such as these.
There are still white-black or white-blue cars. In general, each company paints them at its discretion. The usual inscription in English “TAXI” is not practically on any machine. You ask: how to understand that this is a taxi? Pretty simple. If in a row there are cars with incomprehensible cockades on the roof and drivers in white gloves and are clearly not in a hurry to go, this is a taxi.
The driver of a Japanese taxi is an outstanding person. To become a taxi driver, driving rights alone will not be enough, you still need to pass an exam to know the location of streets and houses on them.
Japanese taxi drivers are always dressed in uniforms. Usually this is a well-ironed signature jacket, vest and tie. An indispensable attribute of each driver are white gloves and a cap. These are such stylish personalities. Usually men take a taxi for about forty years. But now an increasing number of women are becoming in demand in this profession. In Tokyo, in general, they organized a separate service exclusively for female taxis, in which only women and only women were taken. Here is such a service.
The main places of taxi accumulation are the same for the whole world. Near train stations, hotels and other institutions where there is a significant concentration of the public in the evening or afternoon, you can always find people who want to offer a simple pick-up service. Especially a lot of taxis in gay neighborhoods like Shinjuku in Tokyo – they only manage to deliver customers.
How to catch a taxi? It’s completely normal for you to wave the taxi driver’s hand, he will understand and drive up. Then the fun begins.
Do not try to open the back door yourself, it is better to step back from it. In all Japanese taxis, with the exception of minibuses, both rear doors open automatically. I agree that you don’t get used to this service right away, but still … Leaving the taxi, you also need to break the handle (by the way, it may not be), the driver will open the door from his remote control.
Sitting in a taxi, be aware that this pleasure is not cheap. In the smallest city in Japan, landing will cost you no less than 600 yen. In large cities, for example, in Kyoto, if I remember correctly, about 800 yen per landing, plus 200 yen for each next kilometer. The fare increases by thirty percent in the period from 11:00 to 5:00. Do not forget that you will have to pay for a taxi call separately.
You must pay immediately upon arrival, but you should do this without leaving your car. Japan is not England, gentlemen, it is worth remembering. And the driver will open the door for you only after you pay. It is clear that the idea of giving tea to a Russian person sometimes seems at least strange, but still, if it captures your mind in a Japanese taxi, you should not realize this idea, all tips are included in the bill. With you and so good fuck.
Despite all the technical charms of Japan and ostentatious globalization, not a single Japanese taxi driver speaks English. Maybe, of course, try to portray something there, but, as a rule, a farce comes out pure. Therefore, a strong recommendation: if you do not speak Japanese, stock up with an address in Japanese or, at worst, a card to poke the driver where you need to. Attempts to explain on the fingers will lead to nothing.
In general, riding in a Japanese taxi is a pleasure, even despite the fact that they strictly observe the speed limit. Yes, racing, racing with one hand and philosophical conversations are the destiny of our native drivers. The Japanese are not the same breed.
The Japanese driver never talks with the passenger, he just drives the car, and since you are a foreigner, you might not even count on a conversation. Everything will be dignified, calm, sometimes even boring. Well, what else to expect from a man in white gloves and a uniform cap?
Japanese taxi – a service not for those constrained in the means of citizens. I believe that after reading the price list proposed above, you already understood this. Here a tight wallet is needed. But if you accidentally forgot something in a taxi or, God forbid, overpayed, then it is always enough to call the company and name the car number.
