Didi launches taxi-hailing service in Japan's Osaka

China's ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing on Thursday announced the debut of its taxi-hailing service in the Japanese city of Osaka. Didi has partnered with SoftBank in a joint venture called DiDi Mobility Japan, which was set up in July.

The logo of China's ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing and Japan's SoftBank. The pair has set up a joint venture that started offering taxi-hailing service in Osaka on Thursday, September 27, 2018. [File Photo: VCG]

Japan's broadcaster NHK reports that the artificial intelligence technology used by Didi should help cut wait times for passengers, and reduce downtime for drivers. Around 1,000 taxis from 12 operators in areas around Kansai International Airport and Osaka will be enrolled in the new service.

An in-app Chinese-Japanese real-time translation function and bilingual customer services will be available to help Chinese tourists visiting Japan, reports jiemian.com.

At a news conference in Osaka on Thursday, DiDi Mobility Japan said they expect to expand their service to other prefectures, including Tokyo, Kyoto, and Okinawa.

This is Didi's third expansion overseas, after previously moving into markets in Mexico and Australia.