Uber launches free ride-sharing pilot program in Fukuoka, its second city in Japan

App-based transportation service Uber this morning launched a new ride-sharing program for commuters in Fukuoka, Japan’s sixth-largest city. Uber’s entry into Fukuoka marks the company’s second city in Japan, after Tokyo, and its 282nd worldwide.

The new service is called Everyone’s Uber (or “Minna no Uber” in Japanese) and will be free throughout its unspecified pilot phase, which officially kicked off at 10:00 am JST. Unlike Uber’s flagship luxury taxi services, Everyone’s Uber will focus on ride-sharing for commuters.

Fukuoka managed to attract Uber over larger cities because of its commitment to the local startup ecosystem. Fukuoka City was named a special economic zone for startups last year, and new ventures can benefit from a corporate tax rate that is less than half of the national average. Its presiding mayor has been instrumental in the transformation.

“We have long admired [Fukuoka’s] vision to foster innovation and entrepreneurship, led by Mayor Takashima, which ultimately creates more employment and business opportunities,” Uber said in a statement. “ With a young, growing population that is economically active, the energy in the city means people are constantly moving around the city, making Fukuoka the ideal place for Uber’s first ridesharing pilot in Japan.”

In collaboration with Kyushu Technology Licensing Organization (TLO), Uber will aggregate trip data in order to analyze the city’s commuting patterns. The data will then be shared, anonymously, with Kyushu University and the Fukuoka government’s “Smart City Working Group” in order to improve the city’s transportation infrastructure.

Uber wants to bring more reliable and efficient transportation to Fukuoka, which will lead to less congestion, CO2 emissions, and DUI accidents, as we’re already doing in other cities around the world. And we’re hopeful that Everyone’s Uber will serve those who need it most, including the elderly, those in underserved areas, and foreigners that visit the city.

Uber also announced a similar partnership with the US city of Boston last month. Until recently, the firm has opposed government requests for data, citing privacy concerns.

Everyone’s Uber service is limited to Fukuoka City proper and the immediately surrounding areas of Kasugashi, Shimemachi, and Kasuyamachi. Commute time must be less than 60 minutes and users cannot take more than five rides per week. Users must sign up on the Uber app with a valid credit card despite the pilot program being offered for free.

To avoid regulatory hurdles and blowback from Japan’s notoriously strong taxi lobby, Uber is technically defined as a travel agency in Japan. It’s also the first taxi service in Japan to expand beyond a single city (Hailo remains in Osaka and Line Taxi has yet to expand beyond Tokyo).

We’ve reached out to Uber and will update this post when they reply.