ROCKET NEWS


 

Suntory is adding even more hospitality to Japan’s famously classy cabs.

Tokyo has a pretty awesome train and subway system, but there’s still something to be said for getting around town by cab. If you’re heading somewhere a long walk from the nearest station, craving door-to-door convenience, or simply don’t want to worry about where to transfer, hopping into a taxi is definitely the way to go.

 

Plus, if you happen to hail one of Tokyo’s tea taxis this summer, you’ll also score a complimentary cold beverage.

From this month, taxi operator Nihon Kotsu has decked out three of its cabs in the livery of beverage maker Suntory’s Iemon green tea, calling them the Iemon Hospitality Taxis. As the rear passenger-side door opens, you’ll notice a noren, the horizontal tapestry hung at the entrance to traditional Japanese shops and restaurants, bearing the Iemon logo and name.

 

As you take your seat, you’ll be given a 500-milliliter bottle of chilled Summer Iemon green tea, so that you’ll arrive at your destination with your feet rested and your thirst quenched.

 

The generosity doesn’t end there, though. Iemon Hospitality Taxi passengers will also be given a non-folding uchiwa paper fan and a pair of slippers inside a drawstring bag.
 

▼ Uchiwa (front and back) and slipper bag


 

The taxis will be in service between now and August 4, serving the 23 wards of central Tokyo plus the adjacent semi-autonomous cities of Mitaka and Musashino. While you can flag one down if you spot it driving on the street, you can also summon the Iemon Hospitality Taxis using the free Zenkoku Taxi app, available here.