One of the great things about living in one of Japan’s large metropolitan areas with their extensive train and subway systems is that the only major impediment to getting home after going on a bender is often the timing of the last train or saishudensha (最終電車).
Okay, be honest! How many times have you intended to make it back to the station to catch the last train home only to find that it had already departed by the time you arrived at the station? While some may react by justifying such a situation as a convenient excuse for heading right back to the same bar from which you just said your good-byes, others realize that it may be a sign to head over to an all-night coffee shop to waste away the next 4 – 5 hours until the first train of the day or shihatsu (始発) is ready to take you home to your cozy bed or futon.
While taking a taxi or Uber home and paying their inflated, late-night rates is always an option, such a ride can lighten your wallet significantly. For some of us it only takes a single case of “being taken for a ride” for us to learn our lesson and avoid such a mishap in the future. Some people routinely fall into this tiresome routine. Perhaps the trains and subways will someday run 24 hours per day, but until then being aware of the last train is simply a fact of life when living in a big city.
What, though, are you supposed to do when you want to imbibe more than the legal limit after having driven a car to a bar or restaurant in the countryside with limited access to public transportation? No worries! The answer is to order a daiko (代行) or designated driver service which is a safe and often surprisingly cost-effective means to ensure that both you and your car arrive home in one piece. The Chinese characters for the term daiko mean “in place of” (dai) and “to go” (ko). Pretty logical, right?
Japan is notorious for having extremely strict laws that prohibit driving while under the influence of alcohol or inshu-unten (飲酒運転). Thanks in large part to a concerted effort by the Japanese government to crack down on drunk drivers, the number of accidents caused by intoxicated drivers has been reduced dramatically during the past 30 years. There is, in fact, an official government campaign targeting not only people who drive after consuming alcohol but also those who serve or encourage them to drink.
The three tenants of this campaign are clearly intended to encourage abstinence. Details in Japanese are as follows: (1)お酒を飲んだら運転しない (“If you drink alcohol beverages, do not drive”), (2)運転する人にはお酒を飲ませない (“Do not allow drivers to drink alcohol”) and (3)お酒を飲んだ人には運転させない (“Do not allow a person who has consumed alcohol to drive.”) The penalties which were recently strengthened are pretty severe for the driver.
Assuming no additional charges when pulled over (e.g., running a red light) and a good driving record, a driver caught with a breath alcohol content (BrAC) over 0.15 mg/L, which is equivalent to a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.03%, will have their driver’s license suspended for 3 months and have their official driving record docked by 13 points. That’s equivalent to only a half pint of beer! If the BrAC exceeds 0.25 mg/L, which is equivalent to a BAC of 0.05%, then their driver’s license will be suspended for a year and hit with a 25 point charge.
These rules are, however, only the tip of the iceberg, as the offence may result in imprisonment and/or a large fine. There are also substantial fines for people that encourage other people to drink who drive while under the influence. Thus the bottom line is that it is simply not a good idea even to attempt to drive in Japan after consuming any amount of alcohol. When drinking with friends and/or clients one has, moreover, an obligation to prevent others from driving home intoxicated.
Depending upon your state of inebriation, you may notice a few of the ubiquitous posters alerting potential offenders of the dangers of drinking and driving. It is common to spot such public service announcements plastered over the urinals or next to the mirror in the toilet of a bar or pub.
Usually prominently displayed next to the cash register you will often find advertisements for the local daiko or designated driver service. But how does this work? As can be expected, the Japanese have refined the process down to a science.
Not one but two designated drivers typically show up in a tiny hatchback. With you in the passenger seat (or passed out in the back seat) one of the daiko drivers drives your car to your home or hotel, while the other guy follows in the second car owned by the daiko service. Once both cars reach the intended destination, then the person that drove your car home simply gets back into the daiko car with their partner and heads off to pick up the next customer.
Sometimes the fee is negotiated in advance in the parking lot of the restaurant or bar, while in other cases one simply settles upon reaching the destination. While daiko always take cash, most seem to take credit cards or some form of electronic payment. All will provide you with a receipt, as using daiko services are typically considered to be a normal cost of doing business in Japan. It is as simple as that. As it is better to be safe than sorry—particularly in Japan--taking advantage of such a service is often a wise move. Sounds good, but how do you order a daiko?
Daiko are typically arranged on short notice by a restaurant or bar. (It is, after all, in their best interest to make certain that you do not drive home while intoxicated.) Although you can always call on your own or order a daiko on-line, toward the end of the meal or after the last call for one more round of drinks it is common to be asked by your waiter, waitress or bartender how many daiko to call (“Daiko nan dai deska?” 代行何台ですか). After giving your answer you can simply go right on enjoying the evening until being informed when the daiko shows up. Although it may take a while on a busy Friday or Saturday evening, in my experience most daiko seem to appear magically within about 10 to 20 minutes.
Given the necessary manpower of requiring two designated drivers, one would expect daiko to be expensive. They often are, for some unknown reason, cheaper than taking a taxi. In the worst case the cost is equivalent to a taxi. Another added benefit is that by using a daiko there is no need to leave your own car behind and potentially rack up an expensive parking fee until you can go retrieve your car the next morning. Also, the peace of mind knowing that you will get home safely without injuring yourself or someone else helps to justify the cost.
Like with any taxi ride, the challenge with daiko can sometimes be communications. With the exception of such services in Okinawa, it seems as though few daiko drivers speak English. If your Japanese language skills are lacking or impaired from having had one too many, it is probably best simply to show your daiko driver a map, to give them a card from your hotel, or to have someone simply write out the address of your destination.
Using daiko for the first time may take a little courage, but it is by far the safest way literally to enjoy “one for the road” and to ensure that you get home safely.
Great article!!!!