SoftBank CEO Slams Japan’s Ride‑Sharing ban
At a bustling company gathering aimed at customers and suppliers, Masayoshi Son – the big brains behind the SoftBank Group – didn’t hold back.
“Ride‑sharing is prohibited by law in Japan. I can’t believe there is still such a stupid country,”
His words cut through the noise, pointing the finger at a country that, according to him, lags behind overseas rivals in key tech arenas like artificial intelligence and fintech. While SoftBank has built a hefty cash engine across Japanese telecoms, it has largely ignored home‑grown start‑ups in favour of foreign innovators.
Why the ban?
- The Japanese government blocks non‑professional drivers from transporting paying customers, citing safety concerns.
- A vocal lobbying cartel from the taxi industry resists deregulation and pushes for tighter control.
- Transport ministry spokespersons point out a lack of clarity on who maintains and runs the vehicles, whether the driver or the platform.
The ministry stresses that charging a fee for such services raises serious safety and consumer‑protection issues. “We need to think carefully,” a spox said.
SoftBank’s global footprint in gig‑mobility
- SoftBank, together with its Vision Fund (around US$100 billion), has put money into Uber, Didi Chuxing, Ola and Grab.
- Now, a joint venture with Didi plans a taxi‑hailing service in Japan that will dispatch users to existing taxi fleets.
While the rule remains, SoftBank’s punchy comments serve to remind the government that the road to digital mobility is paved with bold moves and, apparently, a hard lesson in “why bar doing anything that runs on wheels and tech.”
