Taking a Taxi in Tokyo, Part I was inspired by the four short visits I have made to this wonderful city. Not enough for me to understand the finer nuances the way expatriates or locals could.
So, to give you even more information on taking a taxi in Tokyo, I give you one of my favorite road gladiators, Tim Arai.
"Taxi experience in Tokyo is a nice change of pace from the videogame-ish, 'oh my god I'm going to die' experience in NYC.
Almost all taxis will have an automatic door opener though most taxis do not have much luggage space in the trunk so if you are traveling with a huge suitcase, you may need to call, or have the hotel call for you, a van.
Writing the name of the destination is fine most of the time but, in Tokyo, with so many businesses, sometimes a name is not enough. Combine that with almost no street names and navigation being done by onboard trip computers and landmarks, it can be a bit of a hassle. I suggest, whenever possible, have a map of the area handy. Usually, the webpage for the hotel/store/restaurant/office building will have a map that you can print out and give to the driver.
Finally, most taxi drivers do not want to venture out of their area. In another words, if you are in Tokyo and you want to get a cab to go out of Tokyo to, say, Kawasaki or Chiba, don't be surprised if they turn you down. Especially since, once they drop you off, it's dead time for them driving back to Tokyo.
Same can be said for getting a cab outside of Tokyo and going into the city. In that case, it's best sometimes to take a train into Tokyo first and then grab a cab outside a Tokyo train station."
With those descriptions, you'd be even more prepared now!
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