Nara Police and Transport Bureau Hand Out Flyers Urging Foreign Tourists Not to Use Unlicensed Taxis; 15 Cases Caught in 2025
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On October 6, 2026, with the autumn sightseeing season underway and many foreign tourists visiting the area around Nara Park, police officers handed out flyers urging visitors not to use unlicensed, illegal taxis known as "white taxis." According to NHK and Nara Television, the awareness campaign was held in front of Kintetsu Nara Station, where Nara Prefectural Police officers and staff from the Nara Transport Branch Office distributed flyers to foreign tourists in Chinese, English and other languages explaining that white taxis are illegal and unsafe.
Transporting passengers for payment in a private vehicle without a license from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism constitutes a taxi-like service in violation of the Road Transportation Act. According to Nara Prefectural Police, 15 white-taxi cases were caught in the prefecture during 2025. While the number has declined in 2026, officers urged tourists not to use such services, citing issues including unguaranteed fares and the absence of compensation if problems arise.
Current status: The number of cases caught in the prefecture during 2026 and a breakdown of drivers' nationalities and methods have not been released as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
On unlicensed taxis, a Chinese national was arrested in July 2026 in front of Tokyo Station on suspicion of operating without a license. Related article
Editorial Perspective
Responses at the municipal level play a role in bridging the gap between national policy design and residents' lived experience. Whether a move like this spreads to other municipalities will be worth watching going forward. In particular, whether information-sharing between municipalities facing similar challenges leads to wider adoption of successful approaches may shape how effective this policy area becomes overall.