While the Japanese public transport system is amazing and the trains are something that everyone coming to Japan should experience, getting to the train station is hot, the train stations are hot and some of the trains can be quite hot.
I am finding myself using the taxis more and more. For me the average fair is around ¥2000 under $20. That means I am picked up at my hotel door and delivered to the destination in complete and total air-conditioned comfort.
There are two keys to simple and easy use of Japanese taxis. Vast majority of the Japanese taxi drivers I have experienced do not speak English, and my Japanese is growing, but still very weak.
Japanese taxis are affiliated with the GO app. This is a lot like our Uber app in the US but instead of providing an individual and a personal vehicle the GO app links to a Japanese taxi. This app gives the driver your destination and eliminates any of the language barrier concerns, it also links directly back to a credit card that you select, which allows you to keep your cash and eliminate the exchanges.
The other tool in working with taxis is Google maps. If you can at least say hello in Japanese and thank you. You can show the driver your phone with your destination in Google maps and he will figure out where you’re going and show you on his phone so you can agree. My driver from the Kyoto train station actually used my phone as his navigation to my hotel.
The GO app is the best option and I recommend you install it in your home country before you come to Japan.
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