Though it connects passengers to licensed local cabs rather than private drivers, Uber is in Japan, operating around big cities and airports.
However, the story of how Uber’s team and its lead, the CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, further explored Japan’s economy is quite touching and funny.
Before Uber set foot in Japan in 2014, over a decade ago, the East Asian country, one of the world’s largest taxi markets, being one of the world’s most widely visited tourist destinations, had remained a fortress.
Japanese authorities have passionately guarded the taxi industry with regulations, causing Uber to get restricted during its welcoming years, as they only allowed licensed cabs. Recently, things have changed.
Khosrowshahi and his team’s quest into studying the Japanese market led them into traveling to the rural areas and exploring Japan’s hidden gems.
They actually found themselves riding an Uber towards a remote corner in Japan, particularly at a local soba restaurant.
"I’m here because one of our most important initiatives in growing our ride-share business in Japan is growing outside of the big cities,” Khosrowshahi told Ridesharing Forum, watching as Kaga’s old overpasses give way to winter-bare cabbage patches and rice fields.
Kaga is a popular rural springtown in Japan, situated in southwestern Ishikawa Prefecture, renowned for the “Kaga Onsenkyo” hot spring resorts teeming with history and traditional crafts.
Grooving along the shores of the Sea of Japan, it offers a blend of mountainous nature and coastal scenery. The area, formerly part of the Daishoji Domain, is famous for Kutani-yaki porcelain and Yamanaka lacquerware.
There are several things to do in Kaga, Japan – exploring the charming Yamanaka and Yamashiro Onsen areas, walking the Kakusenkei Gorge, and visiting the Yunokuni no Mori craft village.
They even got the chance to connect with the Kaga mayor, Toshiaki Yamada, who talked about the status of public transport in the region.
"When it comes to public transport, we have a very serious issue,” he said, saying Uber’s arrival provided relief, adding that people describe the service as "very convenient.”
"Our business in Japan is different from anywhere else in the world,” the Uber CEO told ridesharing media. "I’m by nature an impatient person, but Japan is forcing me to be patient. The key here has been compromise.”
However, passengers reveal that Uber prices in Japan remain very high. For more ridesharing reports, you may sign up for your account on this Ridesharing Forum site, and participate in the discussions and insight exchange, too.