Taxi Driver in Japan

July 21st Sat.- Last Shift

2013-07-20T17:43:00.001+09:00

How many times I watched this sky.

How many times I've stressed out.

How many times I thought about my life.

And now, I'm here for my final shift.

I'm going to be a office guy from next week.

I now cannot judge that my decision is right or not.

Time will judge it and I'm positive that no decision will go wrong if it was decided by "myself".

Now I just feel sad.

I just wanna be here a little more.

This is "my sweet place" behind the wheel.

I wanna come back here some day.

Current Earnings 4,770(17:42)

Taxi driver returns brand-new iPhone 5 to passenger who left it in cab and refuses to take reward -

2013-03-31T23:14:00.000+09:00

http://m.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/honest_cabby_charges_no_taxi_tax_KcSLbio6XmdYKxqsnZQnhJ

I love this kind of stuff.

I got a customer who left her "Sensu (Japanese traditional appliance)"

It looked very important stuff for her.

And I brought it to the hotel she Jumped off my cab.

But I expected some reward ...

That was the difference.

It's a horrible Sunday.

Current Earnings 6,580(23:14)

March 28th Thur. ‐ It's time!

2013-03-28T13:54:00.001+09:00

Here comes the most beautiful season in this country as those cherry trees are blossomed.

It's gonna be only a couple weeks we could enjoy the beautiful flowers.

But you know, you could feel something has started.

Business goes terrible this afternoon, but I feel it must get better.

Current Earnings 2,270(13:53)

March 1st Fri. ‐ Spring Storm "Haru Ichiban"

2013-03-01T14:44:00.001+09:00

It's the first spring storm or the first south wind in spring called "Haru(spring) Ichiban (number one)" in Japanese.

This strong wind brings the beautiful season for us.

hope it would bring some happiness for us.

Current Earnings 7,410(14:42)

Feb. 15th Fri. ‐Pension Friday

2013-02-15T16:18:00.001+09:00

It's a cloudy afternoon after the rain in the morning.

Temp is not very cold lately, and business has been all right.

This is the day that old guys in this aging country got there pension money, paid 15th of even month.

They would go out and hung around tonight.

This now might be bigger than nomal payday for active workers.

I got a call from my dad earlier ...

Current Earnings 10,220(16:17)

Jan. 31st Thur. ‐ Warm Afternoon

2013-01-31T14:38:00.001+09:00

It's warm this afternoon like a spring day.

I was doing a little dealing on this smart phone and sold a couple stocks ...

Business is slow as nomal when it's last day of the month.

Current Earnings 4,310(14:37)

Jan. 30th Wed. - Aston Villa

2013-01-30T21:39:00.001+09:00

Today, I got a customer from England after a while.

I talked to him about football as always I do when I got one from Euro.

He said he supports Aston Villa.

I heard the team a few times and realized their popularity out there.

Business was not bad in the day but slow at a moment...

Current Earnings 13,620(21:38)

Jan. 25th Fri. ‐ Yellow Tail

2013-01-25T14:52:00.001+09:00

It's a sunny and windy Friday afternoon.

I was listning English radio and they're talking about the fish "yellow tail".

I thought it's some kind of a tropical fish, but they are talking about traditional Japanese fish auction.

They don't sell tropical fishes at the auction.

Then I looked up and found out it's a familiar fish on our dinner table called "Buri or Hamachi" in Japanese.

Business goes slow as nomal.

Current Earnings 4,380(14:51)

Jan. 15th Tues. - Lovely House

2013-01-15T20:46:00.001+09:00

http://jp.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323942504578235093263622314.html?mod=djem_Japandaily_t#slide/8

Hum... it looks nice.

I like woody houses.

Imagine if I could drink beer on the roof floor and looking down the city of London ...

Anyway business is not too bad this Monday so far.

Current Earnings 14,150(20:46)

Huku Otoko Race Movie

2013-01-10T17:08:00.001+09:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95vNgQ8MtUk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Jan. 10th Thur. ‐ Ebessan

2013-01-10T15:11:00.001+09:00

It's the special day for the famous Nishinomiya Ebisu Shrine.

For some reason, they hold special religious fest 9-11 in January.

And 10th is the biggest.

They close the gate in the midnight of 9th and get rid of any prayers there.

They hold some special stuff in there(we don't know what it is) and open the gate at 6 o'clock in the 10th morning.

Thousands of people wait behind the gate and splash to run.

Then first 3 guys to reach the main building of the shrine are named to be so called "Huku Otoko" mean lucky guys.

Current Earnings 7,870(15:06)

I went this so called "Ebessan" shrine this morning with my kids.

I hope I brought a piece of "Huku (luckiness)" from there.

Jan. 7th Mon. - Stressed Out

2013-01-07T14:56:00.001+09:00

It's a clear and beautiful afternoon.

I turned off the air conditioner and open the window after a while the freezing new year days.

But business doesn't go that way like this clear sky.

Things go bad way so far and I've been stressed out.

Current Earnings 4,620(14:55)

Jan. 5th Sat. - Dead New Year Days

2013-01-05T17:35:00.001+09:00

This is the photo I took just at 5 o'clock in the evening.

This is the third shift of this year.

I haven't hoped or expected many rides and expected slow business but it's much slower than that...

You know, I bet that you shouldn't work new year days.

Current Earnings 1,730(17:32)

Jan. 4th Fri. ‐ New Year's Shift

2013-01-04T18:57:00.001+09:00

A happy new year!

I started to work yesterday and today is the second day.

It's freezing air and fare...

Anyway people fail but we gotta learn from those failures.

I think I'm doing and moving a little forward.

Current Earnings 4,300(18:56)

VeriFone sued over in-taxi ad contract

2012-12-20T14:50:00.001+09:00

http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/News/2012/12_-_December/VeriFone_sued_over_in-taxi_ad_contract/

Anyway, this advertising monitor in taxi should be applied to Japanese taxis.

There are huge opportunities "in-taxi marketing" here in Japan as not many taxis carry the system itself.

Current Earnings 6,300(14:47)

It's getting colder and they say furthermore freezing air is coming for Christmas!

December 19th Wed. - Siwasu

2012-12-19T16:57:00.001+09:00

Last Sunday,16th, was the national election day and LDP, Liberal Democratic Party, slashed DPJ, Democratic Party in Japan.

I supported DPJ and they had supported us cab drivers.

I have no idea where we, Japan, are going but I'm kindof sure I'm going nowhere from here behind the wheel.

I just believe that things aren't going wrong way for us and cab riders.

It's December now.

People are moving around so that we are meant to have a few rides.

"December" is called "Siwasu" here in Japan, means that even teachers rush and run so busily.

Is it busy now?

yerr... so so.

Current Earnings 7,640 (16:56)

December 7th Fri. ‐ Change The Tire

2012-12-07T14:56:00.001+09:00

This morning before the shift I change the tires for this witer.

This year so far chilly wind blows earlier than normal year.

I'm a little down because I got a few stains on my winter coat...

Business is very very slow this Friday as expected.

Current Earnings 1,740(14:55)

December 5th Wed. - Election Week

2012-12-05T14:36:00.001+09:00

Japanese national election has started yesterday.

The voting day is next Sunday 16th.

Election days tend to be slow.

This time doesn't seem an exception.

But as it was very very slow last couple days, today seems a little better.

Current Earnings 6,350(14:36)

The Night After Full Moon

2012-11-30T20:23:00.001+09:00

November 30th Fri. ‐ Another Cloudy Day

2012-11-30T20:19:00.001+09:00

It's another cloudy day.

It was cloudy afternoon as business went very slow.

But as night comes, the moon is up there really clear.

It's the night after full moon.

I hope something will turn to the better side.

Current Earnings 11,050(20:18)

Japanese taxi service undergoes 'anime' treatment for its cabs

2012-11-30T16:34:00.001+09:00

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/338007

I think they should use cabs for marketing more.

But I don't think this "anime marketing" really works.

This Choei Taxi is called "Ita tak" means "pain taxi" or like "shaming taxi"

But I would support any of their challenges in the struggling area like Hokkaido.

November 29th - Cloudy

2012-11-29T15:55:00.001+09:00

It's another slow day.

Sky looks gray as my mind.

I've been on a bad roll and anyhow cannot get away ...

might be rain in the evening.

Current Earnings 6,340(15:55)

Taxi driver caught watching football match while driving - Odd News - Digital Spy

2012-11-29T15:48:00.001+09:00

http://m.digitalspy.co.uk/odd/news/a441431/taxi-driver-caught-watching-football-match-while-driving.html

Who does the driver support?

Anyway he could listen radio.

I can watch TV with my mobile, but I don't watch even when I wasn't driving because I like radio more.

November 22nd Thur. ‐ Thanks Giving Weekend

2012-11-22T15:53:00.001+09:00

It's nice and warm day in late autumn.

It's thanksgiving holiday in western countries.

In Japan actuary, we have a national holiday in this same week.

It's called the day of "Kinro Kansya".

It means the day that we thank workers.

I don't really know about thanksgiving day in west but "Thank" and "Kansya" are almost same word.

But here in Japan, we nomally haven't got any party, turkey and other nice dishes...

This year, tomorrow, 23rd, is our holiday and it happens to be a little longer weekend.

I feel like we want to have a small party with lovely kids.

Business was very slow around noon but it's getting picked up later now.

Current Earnings 7,800(15:51)

November 14th Wed. - Long Running

2012-11-14T14:52:00.001+09:00

It's clear sky in fall.

It's been slow business for a while, but beautiful wheather eases my feeling a little.

It was a day off yesterday, and I run a little longer in the afternoon.

It was about five kilometer course I run nomally and yesterday, I ran five rounds of that course.

It was kind of hard.

I still have sore in my body.

Current Earnings 3,850(14:51)