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October 21, 2025
 

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DRIVING

As of last Sunday, ride-hailing services, which use personal vehicles to offer paid rides, had been used a total of 12,628 times in five areas.
BUSINESS
May 11, 2024
In first month of operations, ride-hailing services used more than taxis in Tokyo
The services, which were launched in April, have been used more frequently than traditional taxis so far, a transport ministry report has shown.
The transport ministry will begin talks this summer with expressway operators on details of a system aimed at controlling traffic volumes by flexibly setting highway tolls nationwide, depending on sections and the time of day.
JAPAN
May 11, 2024
Japan to introduce variable expressway tolls nationwide
The government is considering including the plan in its basic economic and fiscal management guidelines to be compiled in June, sources said.
Takuya Matsunaga reads a reply from Kozo Iizuka, imprisoned for killing Matsunaga's wife and daughter in 2019 in a high-profile accident in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, at his home in Tokyo earlier this month.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 19, 2024
Five years after fatal Ikebukuro crash, bereaved man works to prevent repeat
A man plans to meet with the driver who accidentally killed his wife and young daughter, hoping to learn what went through the driver's mind.
The National Police Agency is planning to introduce driver's licenses for automatic transmission trucks and buses, as such vehicles accounted for about 90% of large buses and 70% of large trucks sold last year.
JAPAN
Apr 19, 2024
Japan eyes automatic transmission licenses for trucks and buses
The move comes in response to the spread of AT vehicles and the issue of driver shortages.
Digital minister Taro Kono rides in a car driven by a private driver using a personal vehicle in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward on Monday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 8, 2024
Tokyo starts ride-hailing service — but it may not be what you expect
The apps Go, Uber, S.Ride and Didi can all be used to hail private drivers alongside taxis during specific times of the day.
Uber Japan demonstrates its ride-hailing app in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 7, 2024
Uber to launch ride-hailing services in Japan
The move is designed to cope with a shortage of taxi drivers in urban areas and tourist spots in the country.
Ride-sharing apps on a smartphone. Since Monday, users have technically been able to hail private vehicles through such apps, but only in specific areas and at certain times.
BUSINESS / EXPLAINER
Apr 2, 2024
Japan has started private ride-hailing services. Here’s how they work.
Private drivers can only be called during times of high demand and in certain areas.
In 2019, Japan tightened penalties for the use of smartphones and other mobile handsets while driving.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 7, 2024
Record high number of distracted drivers causing death or serious injury
In 2023, 25 incidents were fatal and 97 caused serious injury, with about 10% of drivers using mobile phones to talk and 90% looking at screens.
Police stations in Tokyo's Minato Ward hold a cycling safety event in Tokyo in August.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 6, 2024
Japan to introduce 'blue ticket' fine system for cyclists
Fines are expected to be between some ¥5,000 ($33) and ¥12,000, the same as those for traffic violations by motorized scooter riders.
JAPAN
Feb 21, 2024
Japanese airlines say baggage car drivers cheated on written exam
ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines said their subsidiaries allowed workers at Haneda Airport to cheat on the test to obtain driving licenses.
JAPAN
Feb 5, 2024
Heavy snow falls in Tokyo and wider region, impacting transport networks
While the snowfall may peak overnight, those commuting on Tuesday morning are likely to encounter icy roads and impacts on trains or roadways.
Blair Masters and Talisker Scott Hunter pose for a photo with their kei truck, nicknamed “KT,” outside Ebisu Circuit in Fukushima Prefecture.
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Nov 6, 2023
The little truck that could: A fresh way to tour Japan's north
Travelers have documented almost every corner of Japan. Perhaps a new kind of adventure would be doing those same journeys by different means.
Suzuki President and Representative Director Toshihiro Suzuki unveils the Suzu-Ride at a press day of the Japan Mobility Show at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo on Oct. 25.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 1, 2023
New mobility concepts cater to older people's love for the road
The four-wheeled vehicles categorized as "specified small motorized bicycles" can be driven on public roads by anyone 16 or over without a license.
AI software is being used to detect cognitive decline in older Japanese drivers in order to help prevent accidents.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 22, 2023
AI startup helps insurers spot cognitive decline in elderly drivers
Once reliant on a driver's age and model of car, some insurers now rely on AI to expedite settlements and craft more precise risk assessments.
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tetsuo Saito
JAPAN / Society
Oct 10, 2023
Japan to add driving to specified foreign worker skills
"We'll make various efforts to ensure that local residents and tourists have access to necessary means of transportation," minister Tetsuo Saito said.
JAPAN
Oct 6, 2023
Japan to give shopping points to promote outside door delivery
The project is the centerpiece of the government's emergency policy package to address a looming shortage of truck drivers due to tighter overtime caps.
Delivery trucks at a parking area along the highway in Chiba Prefecture in April
JAPAN / Society
Sep 14, 2023
Japan set to expand visa framework to tackle driver shortage
The planned expansion of the visa framework is to attract foreign nationals to the logistics industries and to address the driver shortage problem.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 13, 2023
Japan's pump prices fall for first time in 18 weeks
The decline has come after the national average rewrote a record high for the second consecutive week.
JAPAN
May 31, 2023
Know before you drive: Construction to impact traffic around Haneda Airport
The operator of the expressway has warned of traffic jams during the two-week period, which started May 27, similar to those typically seen at year-end.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 30, 2023
Michi no eki stations evolving into more than just roadside resting spaces
According to the National Michi-no-Eki Association, the facilities rack up combined sales of about ¥250 billion per year.
Takaichi makes history as Japan’s first female prime minister
Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi reacts to applauding lawmakers after being elected prime minister at the Lower House on Tuesday.
Why I chose Japanese citizenship over permanent residency
Jon Heese (second left) takes part in a 2024 New Year's nihonshu barrel opening ceremony.
Path clears for Takaichi to become PM as LDP and JIP agree to form coalition
Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi (right) reaches out to shake hands with Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura after signing a coalition deal Monday evening in Tokyo.
EV battery race heats up among Japanese automakers
Japanese EV production is focusing on batteries as automakers compete for the lightest, most durable models and the longest driving range.
Takaichi government will likely spend less than expected
Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi at the National Diet Building in Tokyo on Monday
Nakatsu keeps its cool as gentrification looms
Shunsuke Takahashi, owner of the cafe Hood by Vargas, says the Osaka neighborhood of Nakatsu feels brighter and calmer with the influx of new businesses.
How Japan’s greatest psychological horror game came home
Series composer Akira Yamaoka and writer Ryukishi07 were integral figures in helping one of Japan's greatest horror gaming franchises land a Japanese setting.
Japan leads in in-depth AI awareness, new global study finds
In Japan, 55% were “equally concerned and excited” about the rise of AI in daily life, while 28% were “more concerned than excited.”
What does Jimbocho think of its unexpected ‘cool’ status?
Tokyo's Jimbocho neighborhood is a haven for book lovers, its rows of secondhand bookstores spilling over with printed materials.
What you need to see at this year's Tokyo film festival
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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
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