Uber Eats launches in Japan
Uber Eats launches in Japan. Image credit: Small Talk Media.

Uber had a harsh debut in Japan. Their strict rules and society are the main obstacles for the cab-hailing app. On September 30, the company officially announced the arrival of Uber Eats to Tokyo.

Uber’s Japanese president, Masami Takahashi, explained they trusted Uber Eats would attract Japanese customers. The service will be available only in central Tokyo the first month. However, they expect to cover the whole metropolitan area by early 2017.

The initiative has already received support from Daisuke Nomura. He is a world-class chef who owns the Ougo, one of the most famous restaurants in Tokyo. He considers the App will help tourist known the real culinary mysteries of the city.

How does Uber Eats work? 

The app is very intuitive and works like the regular Uber version. Users just need to log in and choose from the large list of locals. Currently, 150 restaurants are available. The options go from American Fast Food to the more complex Asian cuisine.

Once users pick their dish, they proceed to pay with their credit cards on the next screen. Uber has confirmed that there will be no delivery fee for the first month. However, there will be an additional charge in the future for the service.

Then the app contacts one of the people who is currently working as delivery. They are assigned a route and will deliver the order to users immediately. The world’s average time of delivery is around thirty minutes which customers consider optimal.

Uber will give delivery boys a bicycle to do their drops in the city, an efficient and eco-friendly solution. The model has been successful in American cities such as San Francisco.

Ougo and Uber Eats have a special offer

Some Japanese restaurants, led by Ougo, have already declared their commitment to this project. Nomura said the first customers who use Uber Eats to buy from the restaurant would receive special Bento boxes.

Bento is a particular type of lunch box. They are made exclusively of wood and are always decorated with designs at their sides. They measure 12” and have individual compartments to separate food and avoid mixing. Bentos are part of Japanese tradition, and people consider them pieces of art.

Source: Japan Times