A joint investigation team from Hyogo and Kyoto prefectural police arrested six people on suspicion of violating the Road Transport Act, including a Pakistani national in his 20s, over unlicensed paid taxi operations — known in Japan as shiro-taxi — at tourist sites, police said on the 4th. The arrests were confirmed through interviews with people connected to the investigation.
The six are suspected of carrying passengers in private cars for payment without an operating license during the summer. Police say they reused specific vehicles and are investigating whether the group ran the operation systematically.
The suspects are said to have guided foreign tourists, apparently from Europe and the United States, at spots including Arashiyama in Kyoto, Himeji Castle in Hyogo and the A-bomb Dome in Hiroshima. The joint team believes others were involved and is working to establish the full picture.
White taxis and a rising enforcement count
Shiro-taxi refers to carrying people for payment in a car with a white license plate, rather than the green plates issued to licensed taxis. The practice has spread as inbound tourism has grown, and the National Police Agency recorded 132 cases cleared by police in 2025.