How to get a Taxi

Taxi's are available at the train stations in Fukuoka (Kyushu). Doorman opens the doors of a taxi for a customer.

Taxi cabs are costly in Japan, but very useful if you have heavier baggage or just lost the last platoon! There is a verdant plaque and a fluorescent plaque on the rooftop (illuminated at nights when the taxi is available). Close to a railway yard go to the taxi area. It' s best to advertise from your home or your accommodation or make a reservation by telephone (English available from Nihon Kotsu or Taxi Service in Tokyo).

There is a free taxi ("??" - Kusha) with a small little shield on the lower right side of the windscreen. Turns orange ("? ?" China or "? ?" Jussha) when a client is sitting in a taxi. It is the driver's responsibility to open and close the doors with a controller near the handlebar.

Don't hit the button when you go outside. If you don't know Japanese, consider writing the name of your travel location on a small sheet of hard copy, or specifying it in your travel book or on a card. Taxi services allow up to 4 simultaneous passengers: this means a 4-way distribution of travel costs!

An increasing number of cabs accept debit and credit cards, but make sure that the emblem of your cab is displayed on the cab and ask for a minimal amount (5000 Japanese yen in general). In order to appreciate the cost of a journey in the big towns, you can go to the website Taxi Auto Fare, which also has a model for portable equipment.