Driving in Japan Part 4: Taxis and Daikos

It sometimes happens, here in Japan. Well, it often happens.
You find that during a night on the town you have, as many of my Japanese friends say, "overdrank." Whether inadvertently or intentionally, it happens frequently.
What's the problem, you ask? Drinking is fun, and in fact, it is an admitted hobby of many people here. Drinking to excess is actually a required duty in most jobs.
Everything is acceptable when you have overdrank, and misdeeds or embarrassing actions are all forgiven. But that will be covered, maybe, in another, or 20 other, blog posts.
Anyway, so you can overdrink and become a complete ass and be excused for every single crazy action that you don't remember doing...
Almost.
Driving while drunk is a serious no-no all over Japan. Usually not a problem for most, as many people use public transportation or their own feet regularly. But there are those who brave the roads in their beloved Minicas...
The rule is: if you drink even one sip of an alcoholic beverage, you are strictly forbidden from driving a vehicle. This includes cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, scooters, golf carts, off road vehicles and even bicycles. If you are caught and you are Japanese, you will be arrested. If you are caught and you are not Japanese, chances are you will be deported.
But do not worry!
The tyranny of enforcing safe roadways should not discourage you from over-indulging! It must not! Not with overdrinking being almost an Olympic level sport here! Japanese practicality is present even for this situation! Especially for this situation!
Ladies and Gentleman, may I present the daiko!?!
The daiko is a taxi service that will come pick you up at whatever disreputable hostess bar you end your night at, drive you to your car in the overpriced parking garage or in your secret free illegal parking place behind crates in back of the flower shop, drive your car home and then park it much more acceptably than you ever would be able to, even while sober. 1
Ladies and Gentleman, this service is cheaper than normal taxis!
The facts - a normal taxi, from Yuda to Ouchi (read as: from the drinking quarter to my home) costs about 2500Yen. A daiko costs 1800Yen. I do not understand it either.
The daiko service will allow you to drive wherever you please and drink as much as you want and still be able to safely return home. Sometimes the driver will even give you cigarettes!
They are experts at corralling drunks and very patient with drunken attempts at speaking Japanese.
All bars have the local taxi and daiko numbers and will happily call one for you at the end of your night. 2
This service may be available in other countries, in fact it probably is! But I first met this here in Japan, and it will always be a Japanese service in my heart.


1 Or maybe just better than me. I am a really apathetic parker.
2 Unless you are going home with the hot bartender, in which case he will arrange private transportation for you both.

Tissues are only on Fridays

Sorry, tissue day at the gas station is Friday only.

Driving in Japan Part 3: Take Gas Stations, For Example

Japanese courtesy is amazing. People in service industries recognize that they are in, well, the service industry. They really do want to help you as much as they can, and are troubled if your needs are not completely satisfied.

Take gas stations for example. A visit to refuel your Minica is an experience in itself. As much as I try to conserve gas, I find myself pulling into a convenient full service Eneos station about 3-5 times a month. Getting gas is troublesome for some, but I find myself always looking forward to the visit!

The first thing you may notice when you enter the station is that the staff has been waiting for you. They race towards your car like a pit crew, shouting greetings and waving encouragement. Once you have placed the proper location, they inquire about what type of gas and how much, would you like a cloth to clean the inside or your windows, do you have any trash for them to collect, is your ashtray full, and would you like a box of tissues? Then they proceed to fuel your vehicle while continuously shouting greetings, cleaning all exterior windows and mirrors. Somehow, at the same time, they are also simultaneously checking tire pressure, engine oil and windshield wiper integrity. All in under 2 minutes!

If there is someone there who speaks English, he or she is propelled forward to make small talk with me while I wait. Then they collect the bill, and ask which direction I will be turning when leaving the station. Depending on how busy they are, they will stop traffic so I can pull out. Once, two staff members stood in the road, one in each lane, blocking traffic so that I could continue on my emergency mission of visiting Mr Donut.

The welcoming feeling truly encourages repeat business, at least in my case. Realize, there is NO tipping expected. People are not turning on the charm to increase their income. If you ever feel compelled to tip in Japan, please don't. Instead of money, please just don't be an ass to them. Just because someone is busting their ass to fawn all over you does not mean they do not deserve courtesy and respect.

The Return

Hello after the long absence!
Sorry about the long wait, but I always knew that any blog that I would ever get around to doing would be inconsistent at best.
Life is too full of distractions!
But now it is back to work!