Cheap Taxi Rides
+ TOKYO, JAPAN

Just a forewarning, trying this is not recommended unless you’re at least a level 4 Japanese speaker or above. You’ll need to understand their response, even if just a little, to make this fly.

For anyone visiting Tokyo or living in Tokyo, you’ve surely had at least one experience riding the legendary Tokyo taxi cab. For most, the experience can be nothing short of a financial disaster if the driver is left to his own devices. A short drive from downtown to your apartment or hotel might run you 3,000 yen or more! The most typical tricks to expect:

- In most cases, the driver has no idea where ANY major landmarks are and refuses to drive without first wasting metered time playing with the in-car GPS. The driver will insist he is new to Tokyo and knows nothing about the city.

- The driver slows down but does not stop when asked to stop, just to get the meter to tick up once more. Even worse, the driver leaves the meter on while you rummage through your wallet to get the money to pay him/her!

- The driver knows where to go, but drives at half the speed limit, only to insist he/she is “safe driving” for you

There is a way around it though, and a way to save precious money when in need of a ride and not an investment. I repeated this trick for months until I could determine right phrase with the highest success rate. It’s almost too obvious, but the system is so efficient in Tokyo that you would never bother even trying it.

Hail the taxi and wait for them to open the door to let you in(Tokyo taxi cabs open the left side door for you, never open it yourself or you will anger the driver). Lean in but don’t sit down or get in. If you sit down, they will close the door and you could be stuck with them. While leaning in, ask them in Japanese, “Can you go from here to (your destination) for (the amount of yen you realistically think it will take to get you there)?” Be clear with the destination name and the amount you want to offer. I also tried, “How much will it cost to drive from here to (your destination)?” several times but received only mixed results. In each attempt, when offering the amount, if/when the driver agrees, he is seemingly bound to that verbal agreement. In one instance, my driver actually didn’t bother turning on his meter, he simply took the money first then started driving, and drove fast! For the other occasions, the driver waited until the meter hit the rate I offered, then stopped the meter and kept driving. It might be an honor thing, but who cares. I’m so tired of these taxis stealing my money for terrible service. I’ve read many stories of London cab drivers who have to memorize the street maps before receiving a taxi license, so why can’t Tokyo offer first class service like this? Probably the same reason the Narita airport was built 2 hours away from Tokyo, to capitalize on expensive bus and train rides to and from the city.

Just a side note, I’ve never had a driver get upset at me for asking. It might confuse them a little at first, so repeat your request slowly and politely with a smile if they don’t get it the first time. Part of it’s success will be based on your behavior as well. Jumping in the cab and shouting the price won’t work. If you get good at this, you’ll never fear getting cheated by a Tokyo taxi again.

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