Takushi
 

Is it correct the Taxi drivers do not like to pick up a GAJIN?

If this is true-- do you know why?






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I have ridden dozens of taxis in Japan, and never have I been denied a ride.

No, it is not correct.

I don't blame them, I hate artists too.

lol It took me a while to get it!!! I love your sense of humor.:D

Haha! :D There's alot of similarities between the English and the Japanese, sense of humour is certainly one thing we share!

If they all had the same thought processes then yeah maybe, but no, they don't.

I've been in about 20 taxis, most of them in either Hiroshima or Fukuoka, and ALL drivers thus far have been nothing but extremely friendly and helpful. Even telling jokes in their broken English.

thanks then maybe when I come to japan I'll get a taxi alright. WHEW thank goodness for that.

I do wonder how correct some things written in books about japanese people are actually true. I'd love to hear from Japanese themselves.


Is the traffic terribly bad in tokyo and other Cities?

I mean numerically of course.

Sashimaster is a native Japanese living in Tokyo.

Why are you concerned about traffic? Are you planning on doing a lot of driving?

No I don't intend to be driving but from what I have read it can be hair raising. As I have not been there yet I can only judge but by what I have read by others.

Our traffic can be pretty bad at times too here. depending whether in towns or cities or countryside or popular areas.

Here pensioners get a free bus pass-- is there such a thing in Japan or does it depend on different prefectures etc.

One nice thing about traveling in Japan is the public transportation...buses, trains... especially in the metro areas, so one really never has to worry about driving.

I am not sure if it is hair raising, but the road is sometimes shared by cars, bicycles, motor cycles, scooters and pedestrians. People seem to be more comfortable with what I consider very narrow misses.

The top speed limits seem to be slower than they are where I live in the US.

It seems like an interesting question, as traffic is one the things I don't have to worry about when in Japan.

I don`t find driving in Japan to be terrifying at all. Riding in taxis, on the other hand, and I literally end up gripping the seat in fear. The drivers can be crazy...

I`ve never had a single problem getting a taxi ride. Money is money, and the taxi drivers want it. If one refuses you, they`re refusing to make money and handing that money over to someone else.

I have yet to drive around in inner-city Tokyo, but in general traffic isn`t that horrible in other cities. Sure, you might get stuck in a bit during rush hours, but otherwise it`s not bad at all... Unless, of course, you`re heading somewhere hugely popular on a holiday when everyone is off and headed in that same direction.

Bus passes are issued by individual cities, but there usually is a pass for the elderly and for people with disabilities. There is also usually one for train travel too, but that is usually half off instead of a free pass.

Things written about Japan tend to be written with sensationalism in mind rather than conveying facts...

Another point with taxis, many times they are lined up in front of train stations or places where people assemble.

If a taxi refuses you service, then the driver's only choice will be to "get out of the way" and drive back to the end of the line, which would look pretty silly.

I have yet to see a taxi driver refuse a customer even if that customer is drunk, foreigners or local alike.

I had to take a drunken friend home once, there were still trains around that time but it would be really embarrassing if he puked on the train so we decided to take a cab, the driver told us theres a plastic bag on the seat pocket and he felt like puking we could stop until he felt ok.

here local and foreigners alike are paying customer and they are treated as such..

Not to be repeat too much, but like other people have said, money is money, and taxis are often lined up waiting for the next customer, so to refuse someone based on anything would be a bit of a logistical problem (as MMM said). So whether they like you (or their Japanese riders) or not, they'll pretty much have to take you.

In my personal experience, the taxi cab drivers seem to enjoy taking my money haha. I would think it would be a nice break in their day, too... to get some really different looking people for a change. In fact, I've asked taxi drivers for directions before and they've helped me full knowing I didn't plan on riding with them. They are usually nice folks-- I'm sure you'll occasionally run into a really dry person (as I have), but I think that's par for the course anywhere you go.

I drive every day here in Japan and I've driven through what I guess you could call jungly looking mountain-barely-one-car-sized-roads (pavement being optional) to big cities like Osaka, Nagoya, and Kanazawa... but like Nyororin said, the scariest moments driving can very easily be a taxi driver driving you around. They're obviously very good drivers (haha for the most part) so they will probably drive a lot faster and with way more confidence than any normal human being is comfortable with. I think it also has to do with the fact that you are a paying customer and therefore you take precident over any `luckless pedestrian` who happens to walk in front of them. Seriously though, it makes me wonder how hard that taxi-grade drivers license is to pull off haha. I probably couldn't do it in a million years.

It`s actually not that hard. :D I thought about getting one just for the amusement of it (and because they offered the course for half off after I got my regular license)- it`s not just for taxis but rather for passenger transportation.
But it makes your car insurance go up as you are now authorized to transport for money... So I opted not to. Wasn`t worth it just to have my license be a 第二種.

There is more to the written test on the laws for carrying passengers - but the driving test itself doesn`t change much. They just have you do the normal driving test along with a zig-zag course (both forward and backward). I think the biggest difference is that they test your eyesight, hearing, etc in a lot more detail.

While I was in Tokyo I only had to take the taxi once before we got lost and were quite far from any train stations. I just raised by hand while waiting on the side of the street and got one fairly quickly. I had the address we were going to written on paper so the driver took a look, nodded and off we went.

Like others have said, train and subway is the best so that's what I stuck to. It's quite the experience too!

thankyou for replying. I appreciate that. I am trying to learn what it is like to live in JAPAN.

I would love to hear views of those who have spent most of their lives in JAPAN.

My japanese friend worked for a company until she retired a few years ago.

I have been reading a lot of history including the pacific war years.

Is it true that the group system is still an essential part of being japanese?

I am trying to learn truth from fiction. thanks for your help or advice.

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Very much so, I would have to say. In other words, "harmony" is highly valued over here. You won't be respected if you aren't willing to sacrifice to an extent for whatever group you belong to. The "me me me" sort of individuals aren't ever appreciated here.

Okay then is individualism not popular. Does one always have to agree with the group even if not really wanting to?

Is an individual allowed to be forthright and say what they think?