As the number of foreign visitors to Japan is significantly increasing, Kinki District Transport Bureau and Kyoto City recently conducted a questionnaire directed at foreign tourists on the use of taxis in Kyoto City. While 90 percent of foreign visitors expressed a high satisfaction level, the situation of feeling "language barriers" was also highlighted.

After asking 158 foreigners who used taxis in Japan about satisfaction levels, results showed a rating of the highest level "5" for 65.8% and the second level "4" for 29.1%, reaching an overall total 94.9%. Furthermore, attitude toward customers was level "5" for 69% and level "4" for 20.9%.

However, in multiple-answer questions about all users' requests or service related to taxis and drivers, the most common answer was "drivers' linguistic ability" at 35.6%, and "taxi-dispatch services in multiple languages" also at 16.7%.

At the same time, a questionnaire was also directed at 869 taxi drivers, with "conversation training" selected by 36.8% as the most necessary policy for promoting utilization by foreign visitors.

As both users and drivers cited the issue of conversation, Kyoto City Tourism MICE Promotion Section staff said, "Based on the questionnaire results, we want to examine policies for improving the convenience for foreign tourists, for example, by support for taxi drivers to receive training in foreign language conversation."

The questionnaire directed at foreign visitors was conducted from February to March in front of Kyoto Tower in Shimogyo Ward, near Togetsu-kyo Bridge in Ukyo Ward and other places. There were a total of 419 responses.