[PREGNANCY] Maternity/Labor Taxi Services in Yokohama

When your due day is approaching, your doctor/mid-wife may ask you: how do you get here when the labor starts? If you don't have a car, or even if you do, you might worry if nobody can give you a ride.

Unless you are in a critical condition, for example, bleeding a lot or your labor progresses too quickly etc., you are not supposed to call the ambulance (119 in Japan). You can call a taxi, but some taxi drivers aren't eager to carry a pregnant woman (in case something bad happens to the mother/baby in the car or the water breaks and wet the seat and so on, though somewhat understandable).

There're some taxi companies that provide "Labor Taxi Service（陣痛タクシーJintsu Taxi)" in Yokohama. So here's the list.
You can register yourself beforehand so that it would be easier to call the taxi.

Notes:
1) Basically, the drivers engaged in the service have taken a special lesson to understand the maternity issue, but as they're not a doctor or a nurse, they can do nothing and take no responsibility to whatever happens in the taxi.

2) Even if you are registered, they might not be able to send you a taxi under some circumstances (natural disasters, traffic jam etc.).

3) Some companies have really small "territory" and they may not be able to send you a taxi (four companies turned me down saying my place is out of their territory). Confirm if your house and hospital are in their "territory" by mail or phone before registration.

4) Those taxis providing Labor Taxi Service usually don't charge you anything if you wet the seat, but prepare a large towel and a plastic sheet/bag before getting on the taxi to avoid the problem.

5) Fare and condition of use differ in each company (mostly no extra charge; normal fare or extra fare late at night or early in the morning, and pick-up charge). Please refer the website (use translation tools or have someone translate for you) of each company or ask them.

Houei Taxi (Jintsu 119)

http://www.houei-taxi.co.jp/kosodate/jintsu/index.php

Registration online

Area: Hodogaya west, Asahi east, Kanagawa ward west, Midori east areas

KM Taxi (Maternity My Taxi)

https://www.km-group.co.jp/taxi/maternity/
Registration by telephone (weekday 9:00-17:30) or online
Area: Nishi and Minami wards (and Tokyo 23 wards, Mitaka and Musashino cities)
*It seems they only serve in Tokyo now. (27/06/2017)

Nihon Kotsu Yokohama (Jintsu Taxi)

http://www.nikko-yokohama.co.jp/jintsutaxi/
Registration by telephone (24h)
Area: Yokohama (Totsuka, Izumi, Asahi, Seya, Hodogaya, Konan, Sakae wards), Yamato, Ebina, Zama and Ayase cities, but there may be some exceptions.

Radio Taxi (Jintsu 119)

http://radio-taxi.org/service/qtaku_form.php

Registration online

Area: Naka, Nishi, Tsuduki, Kanagawa south, west and east, Minami east, Hodogaya south and east, part of Isogo, Kohoku, Midori and Asahi.

Sanwa Kotsu (Jintsu 119)

http://www.sanwakoutsu.co.jp/service/labor/labor_taxi.html
Registration online
Area: Not clearly indicated in the website but it seems around their Yokohama office (some part of Kohoku and Tsurumi)


The taxi companies below belong to the Association of Kosodate Taxi (http://kosodate-taxi.com)

Asahi Taxi (Jintsu Sogei Service)

http://www.asahitaxi-hama.co.jp/service/jintsu.php
Registration online
Area: Kohoku New Town Office (Tsuzuki ward, Aoba Edacho, Aoba Eda-nishi, Aoba Shin-ishikawa, Kohoku Shin-yoshidacho, Kohoku Takatacho, Kohoku Shimoda-cho, Kawasaki Miyamae Arima and Higashi-arima), Yamate Office (Naka, Nishi wards, Minami east, Kanagawa south, Hodogaya south, Isogo north) (update 27/06/2017)

Kanagawa Toshi Kotsu(Kosodate Taxi: Konotori Course)

http://www.toshikoutsu.co.jp/service/kosodate.html
*Labor taxi service is provided as "Konotori (=stork) Course" in their Kosodate (child-rearing) Taxi Service.
Registration online (confirmation by mail or phone)
Area: Aoba ward, Kanazawa ward and Yamato city  (update 27/06/2017)

Mitsukyo Kotsu (Kosodate Taxi: Konotori Course)

http://mitsukyo.jp/kosodatetaxi01.html
*Labor taxi service is provided as "Konotori (=stork) Course" in their Kosodate (child-rearing) Taxi Service.
Registration by telephone
Area: Seya, Asahi center and west

Shonan Kotsu (Kosodate Taxi: Konotori Course)

http://shonankotsu.co.jp/kosodate-taxi/
*Labor taxi service is provided as "Konotori (=stork) Course" in their Kosodate (child-rearing) Taxi Service.
Registration online
Area: Not clearly indicated but as the office is in Konan ward, it should be around there.

Sun Taxi (Jintsu 119)

http://www.suntaxi.com/kosodate/jintsu119.htm
Registration online
Area: Naka, Kohoku (Kodukue-cho, Nippa-cho, Toriyama-cho, Shin-yoshida-cho, Shin-yokohama, Kita-shin-yokohama, Mamedo-cho, Futoo-cho, Osone)

Toho Taxi 

http://www.toho-taxi.jp/kosodate/index.html
Registration online
Area: Tsurumi (for some areas in Kanagawa ward and Kawasaki Saiwai and Kawasaki wards, please confirm by phone)

(This information is updated on February 4th, 2016)

[EVENT] Yokohama Station Festival 2013, 4-14 October

Yokohama Station Festival 2013（2013横浜えきまつり）started around Yokohama station!!
The 14th of October is the Day of the Train in Japan since the first passenger train started to run on that day in 1872 (from Shimbashi to Yokohama, but to be precise, both stations at that time situated in different places of the present time, the Yokohama station at that time was now called Sakuragicho station).
And the Yokohama Station Festival 2013 is from 4th October to 14th October.

Source:
Official Website of the festival in Japanese

There are various events and here are some pick-ups. All of them are free of charge (except for goods sales).

MUSIC EVENTS

Nishi-guchi (West Exit) Live
At Takashimaya
5th and 6th October 11:00-15:30, 13th October 11:00-14:00
1F  main entrance stage at Takashimaya Yokohama store
5&6th : a Vietnamien singer, Hien Thuc, a idol dance group from Laos, Over Dance and other performance of ASEAN countries
13th : Yokohama Firefighter Band, Yokohama F Marinos cheer leading team, Japanese drum performance etc.

At Joinus
5th and 12th October, 13:00-, 15:00-, 17:00
B2F square
Smile Song (a free live held every saturday, Station festival special version)

TRAIN EVENTS

YOKOHAMA Train Festival 2013
5 and 6th October
At Yokohama Shintoshi Hall (Sogo 9F) Plaza (in front of Sogo, B2F) 5th:9:45-17:00, 6th 10:00-17:00
Photo with the stationmaster (on 5th only), Panel Quiz Rally, Craft workshop etc.
At Porta Shopping Mall 9:45-16:00
Train goods and the local specialties will be sold.

Train Characters Gathering
5th October 11:00-16:00
At JR Yokohama Station Central Concourse

 

From left to right:
Keikyun from Keikyu Line
Norurun from Tokyu Line
Hama no Denchan from JR East Yokohama branch
Hamarin from Yokohama Municipal Transport
Hyo-chan from Kiyoken (nothing to do with trains though specialty of Yokohama)

Come on Kids! Get on a mini-train!!
14th October 11:00~13:00, 14:00~16:30
At 2F Terrace in Sogo Yokohama
Kids can get on a 6-car mini train running around the terrace
Canceled in case of heavy rain

Yokohama Station Festival Walking Day
14th October
Admission at Sakuragicho station Concourse, from 9:00 to 11:00
It will take about 4hours 30min (including the sightseeing time, walking time around 2hours, about 7km). You are supposed to arrive at the Goal (JR Yokohama Station Concourse) by 16:00.
Course: JR Sakuragicho, The First Railway Monument, Dockyard garden, Nihonmaru, Kisha michi street, Zou no hana park, Red Brick Warehouse, Rinko Park, Yokohama Museum of Art, Hara Model Train Museum, JR Yokohama Station.

[TRANSPORT] Yokohama Municipal Bus, Change in Stops at Yokohama East Exit

Yokohama Municipal Bus（横浜市営バス）announced some changes of bus stops at Yokohama Station East Exit Terminal (in Sogo), which starts from 1st of July, 2013.

The bus route numbers involved in this change are: 9, 48, 86, 89, and 270.

Please check the website below. Although it's in Japanese, you can see the tables and numbers on the right bottom (from left to right, bus route number, the number of the stop before July, the number of the stop after July) .

Opens to the website of Yokohama Municipal Bus