Columns

Long-form columns explaining institutional nuances around road signs, violations, and cases in Japan.

• The "expressway button" in a Japanese taxi does not raise your fare 2026-07-31 If the meter seemed to speed up the moment your driver pressed a button before entering the expressway, you saw something real — but the cause is a fare rule, not the driver. Here is how Japanese taxi meters work, and why they are sealed shut with a lead pellet once a year.