The Imperial Palace East Gardens Tour on Wednesday 29th January 2020

Thank you for joining our tour at the Imperial Palace East Gardens on Wednesday 29th January 2020. We welcomed 8 guests from the UK, USA and Australia. I hope all of you enjoyed the tour in the warm sunshine, as it had been cold and wet for a few days earlier this week. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached.

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Have you taken a taxi in Tokyo?

Nihon Kotsu, one of the largest taxi companies in Tokyo, has announced that all 1,500 vehicles of the company have been replaced by new-type Toyota JPN TAXI. JPN TAXI, released by Toyota in 2017, is designed specifically for hackney carriages. Compared with conventional sedans, it has more space for passengers in the rear seats. According to a survey by Nihon Kotsu, 86% of passengers who tried JPN TAXI was satisfied with the larger cabin.

Toyota JPN TAXI

Sedan type

Taxi drivers in Japan need a Class II (high-class) driving licence. Compared to a normal Class I licence, they have to satisfy higher requirements on eyesight, hearing ability, driving technique and understanding of relevant laws. All drivers and taxi vehicles are registered, and a licence is displayed inside the taxi.

Every taxi is fitted with fare meters, and fares are calculated using a unified fare chart based on distance and time. In Tokyo, the main way to get a taxi is flagging down directly from the street or hiring from taxi ranks. (Just wave your arm to a taxi whose roof light is on.) If you pre-book a taxi by telephone, the reservation charge (¥410) will be added to the fare.

As you may already know, taxis in Japan are safe and comfortable. Yet, one problem might be that not all of the drivers are fluent in English. If you are taking a taxi right after our free tour, we can help you communicate with drivers about your destination.

Last but not least, a taxi’s rear-left door (where you get in/out) is operated by the driver – Be careful!

(Hiroshi)

For more information on our tour, visit our website at https://tfwt.jp/top/east-gardens-of-the-imperial-palace/, https://www.facebook.com/TokyoFWT/ or Tokyo Free Waling Tour at https://www.tripadvisor.jp/