IZUMISANO, Osaka -- The regional transportation bureau here and other authorities are warning that passengers in unlicensed taxis may not be compensated in the event of an accident.

The message from the Kinki District Transport Bureau and other bodies comes amid an apparent boom in unlicensed taxis catering to record numbers of foreign visitors arriving at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture. The prefectural police are cracking down on such vehicle services ahead of the Osaka-Kansai World Expo, which opens on April 13, and visitors are being urged to use public transportation instead.

On Jan. 28, the first day of the Lunar New Year holidays observed in several Asian countries, police launched a crackdown on unlicensed taxis at the Kansai airport with a 50-person force, stopping and inspecting suspicious-looking vehicles.

One of the vehicles stopped by investigators was a black minivan departing from a terminal and on its way to the connecting bridge spanning the bay. It was before noon, and the vehicle was carrying a six-person family of sightseers who had arrived from South Korea. The driver apparently told investigators the minivan was taking them to a hotel in the Kyoto district of Arashiyama in exchange for 29,000 yen (approx. $191).

The 32-year-old driver, a trade company worker of South Korean nationality, was arrested on the spot on suspicion of violating the Road Transportation Act. The 36-year-old president of the trade company, also of South Korean nationality, was also arrested for the same suspected violation after police heard that he allegedly directed employees to act as unlicensed taxi drivers.

The Osaka police said the arrested driver claimed he was told by the president to provide the unlicensed taxi service. It is not clear whether the president has admitted to the allegations. The vehicle was registered under the president's name. The tourists reportedly reserved the trip on a Korean website, chose the pickup location and paid in advance by credit card.

Unlicensed taxis are becoming an issue across Japan at tourist hotspots, airports and other locations. At the Kansai airport, detected cases included the representative of a Tokyo travel company and five others in 2022, nine people of Vietnamese nationality in 2023 and one of Chinese nationality in December 2024. However, there is a high hurdle when it comes to exposing them. In many cases, the drivers respond, "I'm carrying friends" or "I'm here to pick up relatives" when questioned by police. They cannot make a case from the presence of passengers alone -- a monetary exchange for the service has to be established, and payments are often made on ride-hailing or messaging apps.

Investigator Kozo Iuchi of Osaka Prefectural Police's traffic division told the Mainichi Shimbun, "Unlicensed taxis are not declining at Kansai International Airport, and shouldn't be allowed to run rampant. The Expo will soon begin. To ensure the safety and security of visitors to Osaka from Japan and abroad, we will do everything in our power to strengthen the crackdown."

Educational activities by the regional transport bureau

On Jan. 30, the Kinki District Transport Bureau, in a team of 21 participants including those from Kansai Airports Co., the Osaka Taxi Association, the Osaka Prefectural Government and other parties, together distributed flyers to tourists and drivers warning that unlicensed taxis are "illegal and dangerous." In some cases, the vehicles -- with white license plates denoting noncommercial operation -- took off as soon as the workers approached.

The same transportation bureau and others have been carrying out educational activities since the problem became noticeable in fiscal 2016, when a council was established to discuss countermeasures at the Kansai airport. When the bureau is notified by the police of an unlicensed taxi, following an investigation the driver is suspended from using the vehicle for 60 days and the license plates and vehicle inspection certificate are held by authorities. Within six prefecture-level jurisdictions under the bureau's purview, administrative punishments over unlicensed taxi services, including those carried out using buses, totaled four cases in fiscal 2018, eight the following year, two the year after that, none in fiscal 2021, one in fiscal 2022, none the year after, and four so far in fiscal 2024. Six of these cases were related to the Kansai airport.

Naoki Kurosaka, a section chief at the Kinki District Transport Bureau's motor vehicle traffic department, commented, "We will eliminate illegal, white-plated taxis so that people can enjoy traveling by a safe and secure means of transportation. Since the number of taxis will naturally increase in proportion to the number of travelers, it is important to strengthen crackdowns in cooperation with the police."

Shinichi Ijima, managing director of the Osaka Taxi Association, said of the unlicensed taxis, "Their impact on regular working drivers is significant, and I want them to be eliminated."

(Japanese original by Tadakazu Nakamura, Izumisano Resident Bureau)