[nihonde]

Completely agree. In Kyoto, where I live, taxis are everywhere and cheap. That’s true even though I’m picky and try to use an MK cab whenever possible (top class of service, IMO).

Cab drivers in Japan usually take pride in their work. It’s not uncommon to see one waiting outside a home and scrambling to meet the passengers at their front door with an open umbrella.

Having said that, in Kyoto, more than anywhere else, a lot of the drivers are crabby I’ve noticed. I think they get tired of dealing with rude tourists day after day.

[tfw5012]

> Cab drivers in Japan usually take pride in their work

This is more of a Japanese work mentality than cab drivers being some high-skilled craftsman type class of workers. Cab drivers in Japan are generally very overworked and the demographics look quite bad: average age is something like 55, few newcomers because the pay isn't good and the hours are bad.

[nihonde]

My friend became a cab driver in his 50s after he got laid off from his career. It’s not an easy gig. Their pride of service is definitely not unique in Japan, but is when compared to other cabbies elsewhere.

[ekianjo]

> Cab drivers in Japan usually take pride in their work. It’s not uncommon to see one waiting outside a home and scrambling to meet the passengers at their front door with an open umbrella.

Nothing to do with "pride in their work". When there is competition usually what makes the difference is the quality of service or the human touch. A cab ride is pretty much the same from one cab company to the other, so they try to differentiate with other things, such as knowing their regular customers.