Jakarta, ThedailyID — Japan plans to revise its transportation regulations to allow taxi drivers to refuse or remove passengers who engage in verbal abuse, make unreasonable demands, or behave rudely.
The proposed changes aim to protect transport workers and prevent drivers from being forced to serve passengers in threatening or unpleasant situations.
Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is reviewing the Standard Conditions of Carriage, which govern the public transportation industry.
Under the current rules, taxi drivers can stop their vehicles and ask passengers to leave only in limited circumstances. These include physical violence, possession of illegal or dangerous items, and severe intoxication that prevents passengers from stating their destinations.
The revised regulations would provide drivers with clearer legal protection when dealing with abusive customers. The government aims to implement the new rules before the end of 2026.
The proposal comes as Japan ranks first in a global survey of the world’s most polite countries for tourists, published by financial services provider Remitly. More than one-third of respondents, or 35.15%, described Japanese people as particularly friendly and polite toward foreign visitors.
Japan welcomed more than 27 million international visitors in the first eight months of 2026, down 2.7% from the same period in 2025.
The government aims to attract 60 million foreign tourists annually by 2030, up from approximately 42 million visitors in 2025.
