You would think that Japan would use the latest and greatest cars with every gadget possible as their tax fleet but this is not the case. The Crown comfort is based on an old model crown that was first launched in 1983 while the Nissan Cedric was first launched in 1987. These cars are still made new with only a slight facelift so the taxis do look very much like 1980’s cars. The Crown comfort is by far the more popular of the two cars and is also exported to Hong Kong for their taxi market.

Most taxis will hold 4 passengers (3 and driver) and to tell if a taxi is vacant - look for the red plate on the dash board and the roof. Strangely when the car is booked it is green. So red is yes vacant and Green is No Booked - that's Japan for you!

There are a couple of unique things about the Japanese taxi, the rear passenger door is electronically opened by the driver and there's no need to close it either as the driver also has a control to close it and open it again when you get to your destination.

The Crown and Cedric may not be the most luxurious sedan but they have been specially designed to suit being a taxi. The driver usually very gracious and is always dressed in a very neat shirt and tie and usually hat and white gloves, the seats are also very unique with white linen seat covers with lace and embroidery making the experience all that more special.

Unlike most cities in the world tipping is a big no no - you should only pay the price on the meter. Taxi drivers are not allowed to accept any more. All service charges are built into the price.

Japan's street naming and numbering system is very difficult for those who don't understand it, and most taxi drivers do not speak English so it is advisable to have someone from your hotel or another Japanese speaking person to help you with your destination even with just writing it on a piece of paper. Maps and English spelling only help to confuse the situation.

Like most cities the taxi is one of the more expensive forms of public transport with fares typically starting around 600-700 Yen for the first two kilometres and increase by roughly 100 Yen for every additional 500 meters. The cost does also rise when the taxi is not moving for a prolonged time. Late in the evening, rates are raised by 20-30 percent.