In brief: Uber launches new taxi-hailing app in Japan

Via Reuters:

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Uber said it would launch a taxi-hailing app for taxis operating in Nagoya, as the US firm tries to expand its foothold in a country where it has been blocked from offering its own ride-sharing service.

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The US firm said it was working with Fuji Taxi Group, which has been operating for more than 60 years in the Nagoya area, located near the heart of Japan’s automaking heartland.

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This follows a taxi-hailing pilot scheme that Uber has been testing out since May on Awaji, an isolated Japanese island that’s home to about 120,000 people and 12 cab companies.

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The US company has been unable to make much headway with its core business of private-car ride-hailing in Japan, as the country maintains strict rules against unregulated drivers or companies offering public transportation services.

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However, Uber views Japan as among its most promising markets in Asia Pacific, following the sell-off of its operations in China and Southeast Asia to local players Didi Chuxing and Grab, respectively.