The provenance of the driver can be even further away. I often inquire where the driver is from - The ones who are completely reliant on GPS often tell me "Oh. I just got here from Kagoshima last week". The ones who don't want to say are often from China.

That's one more reason to favor kojin taxi. Because of the time they've spent just to get a kojin license, it's a sure thing that they have a knowledge of the major urban areas. For a trip into the 'burbs all bets are off.

GPS might not get the best route - but it can be better than a newbie driver who is "absolutely sure" of the destination. I recall getting into one cab with a fresh faced driver who was delighted that I wanted to go to Nissan HQ. He knew exactly how to get there. "Are you sure?" - "Yes Sure". Some time later, I looked up from my phone and inquired why we seemed to be heading in the wrong direction - Turns out he was taking me to Toyota's Tokyo HQ. Oh dear.