Grab launches cab-hailing partnership in Japan

Grab is reportedly partnering with a cab operator in Japan, JapanTaxi, to let its users hail rides from popular locations in the country.

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According to a Nikkei Asia Review report, the service would be available in five locations, namely Tokyo, Kyoto, Sapporo, Nagoya, and Okinawa.

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Photo credit: Grab

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Grab reiterated that this is a continuation of a partnership with London-based mobility marketplace Splyt Technologies, which lets users in Japan use the Grab app to book rides through JapanTaxi.

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In June, Grab participated in an US$8 million series A round for Splyt as part of the wider initiative. At the time, Grab and Splyt allowed international visitors to book Grab rides across 336 cities in eight countries in Southeast Asia through either of the two companies’ apps.

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Various ride-hailing players are active in Japan. China’s Didi Chuxing said earlier this year that Didi Mobility Japan, its taxi-hailing joint venture with SoftBank, will be expanding its service to 13 cities across Japan.

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The app was first rolled out in September 2018 in Osaka, where the joint venture tapped 40 taxi firms in an increasingly crowded market for such apps.

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Uber, a long-time rival of Grab, also has a footprint in the country, piloting its services in Japan back in May 2018. In September 2018, Uber announced the launch of its taxi-hailing app for taxis operating in Nagoya, working with local firm Fuji Taxi Group.

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The move came after it sold its operations in China and Southeast Asia to local players Didi and Grab, respectively.

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Editor’s note: The Nikkei report earlier said that Grab was set to launch a new service in Japan. That is inaccurate. It’s allowing its users to book rides in Japan.