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TAKING A TAXI

What you should know before taking a taxi in Tokyo for the first time

Although it might feel like an expensive way to travel – and even more in a big city like Tokyo – taking a taxi can be handy and cost-effective if you know when and how to use them. With public transportation stopping to operate around midnight, taxis become a valuable alternative. And unlike other metropoles where finding a taxi at night can be a real challenge, you will never wait more than a couple of minutes near a main road.

Tip #1

Keep it short

Obviously the shorter taxi ride the better. Cutting across a ward when transportation isn’t near or doing venue hopping at night is conveniently done in taxi. One-kilometer taxi rides are the most cost-effective ones since you’ll make the best use of the first kilometer flat rate (¥410).

After the first kilometer, cost increases by ¥80 every 237m, plus some during waiting time. And count a bit more for night rides (10pm-5am) as rates are raised by 20%. Crossing the city in taxi to get home is the expensive ride you want to avoid.

Obviously the shorter taxi ride the better. Cutting across a ward when transportation isn’t near or doing venue hopping at night is conveniently done in taxi. One-kilometer taxi rides are the most cost-effective ones since you’ll make the best use of the first kilometer flat rate (¥410).

After the first kilometer, cost increases by ¥80 every 237m, plus some during waiting time. And count a bit more for night rides (10pm-5am) as rates are raised by 20%. Crossing the city in taxi to get home is the expensive ride you want to avoid.

Tip #2

Be prepared

Knowing what to expect will save you time and make the taxi ride smoother. There are a few things specific to Japan when it comes to taxis. Jumping for the first time in a taxi without knowing the language is already an experience of its own. The next couple of tips will at least give you a head start. 

Knowing what to expect will save you time and make the taxi ride smoother. There are a few things specific to Japan when it comes to taxis. Jumping for the first time in a taxi without knowing the language is already an experience of its own. The next couple of tips will at least give you a head start. 

What you need to know

Green means occupied. And therefore red means available. It’s counter-intuitive I know, but it’s one of those things you need know to avoid hailing at occupied taxis for 15 min before a red one accidentally sees you.  “Why is this one not stopping??” – Most likely it’s an orange one – another common mistake you’ll mostly make – especially after coming out of a bar at 3 am. Orange is for out of service.

Don’t try opening the backdoor. The driver has a lever and will automatically do that you let passengers in and out. The whole thing started in the 60’s because customers in a hurry would leave the door open. For those who experienced trying to close a backdoor themselves from the driver’s seat, the contorsion is motivational enough to come up with that kind of crafty system.

Well-known streets/ crossings/ landmarks will get you there faster. If you don’t need to go to a specific address or if a landmark is nearby, give that to the driver. Things like Meiji-jingu dori or Shibuya kosaten are better choices. You’ll avoid yourself the trouble of having the driver dive into his navi, triple check the way there and rely on it to take streets he doesn’t know. But if you need to go somewhere precisely…

…Give the driver the address in the right order. As you probably already noticed, addresses don’t work quite the same way in Japan. Start with the ward ending in -ku, e.g. Minato-ku. Then,

  • City district name and number, e.g. Ebisu 2-Chōme
  • City block number (the 2nd number)
  • House number (the 3rd number)

These three designations are usually separated by hyphens.

Tip #3

Double-check
the way

Although taxis have an on-board GPS, the system they are using is far from perfect. It doesn’t always spit out the quickest or the simplest way to your destination. And when you end up having to go through smaller streets, I have seen the thing get confused and propose to drive straight through buildings.

Although taxis have an on-board GPS, the system they are using is far from perfect. It doesn’t always spit out the quickest or the simplest way to your destination. And when you end up having to go through smaller streets, I have seen the thing get confused and propose to drive straight through buildings.

Do the recon

Some taxis will ask you if you have a preferred way to your destination. It’s always good if you can, to input the address in your navi app and do a quick check before getting into a cab. For one thing, that’ll tell you which side of the street to wait on.

If the driver ends up using the GPS, I recommend comparing the way appearing on his screen with what your phone is telling you. And even if he doesn’t ask you for your preferred route, don’t hesitate to let him know if you want to change route during the taxi ride.

Tip #4

Learn a few words

Start by assuming that your taxi driver doesn’t speak any English. Because more often than not, he won’t. We’ve all been there. Repeating directions with different inflections. Stretching words to give them Japanese intonations. Waving our hand around with the certainty that the driver will sense the direction of the air moving behind him. And then resigning ourselves to being dropped off where the driver eventually decides. 

Start by assuming that your taxi driver doesn’t speak any English. Because more often than not, he won’t. We’ve all been there. Repeating directions with different inflections. Stretching words to give them Japanese intonations. Waving our hand around with the certainty that the driver will sense the direction of the air moving behind him. And then resigning ourselves to being dropped off where the driver eventually decides. 

What to start with

Not being able to communicate with the person holding the wheel isn’t great, let’s be honest. So let’s start with some basic commands.

How to give commands

To give more complex commands, you can put simple sentences together by combining ① and ② together from the tables below. The dash above the o in some words is called a macron and indicates a double vowel. Just hold the sound one beat longer. 

Japanese might sound complicated, but it is actually one of the most accessible asian languages. To correctly pronounce the words, all you’ll need to do is vocalize every sound fully while keeping a flat intonation. With a little training, you’ll be able reproduce accurate sounds, similar to those of a native Japanese speaker.

Tip #5

Get the receipt

If you realize later that you forgot something in the cab, this will be your best chance of retrieving your lost item quickly. There are 333 different taxi companies in Tokyo, so just remembering the color of the car won’t cut it. You’ll want to have the company name and phone number, the time and date of your ride and the car number (車番) which are all printed on the receipt.

If you realize later that you forgot something in the cab, this will be your best chance of retrieving your lost item quickly. There are 333 different taxi companies in Tokyo, so just remembering the color of the car won’t cut it. You’ll want to have the company name and phone number, the time and date of your ride and the car number (車番) which are all printed on the receipt.

What if you do

If you have the receipt, I recommend either asking a Japanese-speaking friend to call the taxi company, or going to the nearest kōban (police box) and asking them instead. This way, even if your item isn’t found right away you’ll be able to report it missing and give your contact info.

What if you don't

If you don’t have the receipt, you can try contacting the Tokyo Taxi lost and found hotline (Call 03-3648-0300. Open everyday 24 hrs. In Japanese only), but you should still find the nearest police station or police box and file a lost item report.

If more than 4 days have passed since you lost your item, it has probably been moved to the Metropolitan Police Lost & Found Center located near Iidabashi Station (Nanboku line, Iidabashi station, exit C2).

OTHER WAYS TO GET AROUND TOKYO?