A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of operating an unlicensed paid taxi — known in Japan as a white taxi — for foreign tourists in a modified car, TV Asahi reported.
Takayuki Onishi is suspected of carrying two foreign tourists in Shibuya Ward in June without a national permit, driving them to several locations in Tokyo. Police said he advertised the trips in social media videos under names such as "Tokyo Night Cruises" and charged ¥90,000 for the tour.
The case came to light when officers stopped him as he drove with his car's lamps flashing. The vehicle's mandatory inspection — the periodic safety check required of all cars on Japanese roads — had expired three years earlier, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
Onishi has denied the charge, telling investigators he did not consider driving foreign visitors around to be white-taxi operation.
Police believe he had been running the tours for about a year and are investigating further.
White taxis — private cars used to carry paying passengers without a license — have drawn attention as visitor numbers have grown, with licensed taxis and ride-hailing apps struggling to meet demand in some areas.