Candid Photos Reveal the Stoic Faces of Tokyo’s Nighttime Taxi Drivers

Tokyo Taxi by Oleg Tolstoy

Photographer Oleg Tolstoy is a storyteller inspired by the social dynamics of urban centers. As a follow up to his 2015 series Who's Driving You?, which saw him photographing black cab and Uber drivers in London, he traveled to Tokyo for Who's Driving Tokyo? The series is a candid look at the professional men and women who shuttle passengers across the bustling Japanese city.

Why Tokyo? “When I visited Tokyo 10 years ago I became fascinated by the taxi drivers there who wore snow-white gloves and suits,” Tolstoy tells My Modern Met. “It was like they were from another era, a more refined and stylized era.” Through the windshield, we see each driver—and occasionally a passenger—pensive and lost in their thoughts. White gloves in place, they patiently wait in silence.

Even more than their elegant old-world style, something else important separates Tokyo taxi drivers from their British counterparts. “I would say that London cabbies want to be heard and love to chat to their customers—they often yearn for conversation and to have a good old natter with their customers, whereas the personalities of Tokyo drivers seem very still and almost absent in comparison. I believe that this difference in personality comes across in my images, the Who's Driving Tokyo? ones seem a bit distant compared to the London cab drivers.”

But, as Tolstoy, soon realized, this aloofness isn't a personal choice, but a professional one. Culture dictates this formality, with the Japanese cab drivers never expecting a tip and aiming for excellence. “Drivers rated ‘yūryō untensha‘—excellent driver—have their own stands at major stations and special markings on their cabs. As people, we naturally crave connection, but even in this tiny enclosed space, the line between driver and passenger persists,” Tolstoy writes. “I was intrigued by these professionals who spend most of their days in silence, despite often being sat less than a meter from another human being.”

Over 11 nights, Tolstoy photographed cabs in the Shibuya and Shinjuku districts, waiting for the perfect lighting to take his images. While many photographers—or cab drivers themselves—make passengers the subject of their projects, Tolstoy revels in the opportunity to unravel the mystery of those behind the wheel. His candid photos allow us to study the human faces behind the profession, placing the taxi cab driver firmly in the foreground.

Who's Driving Tokyo? is Oleg Tolstoy's candid look at taxi cab drivers in Tokyo.

Photo of Cab Driver in Tokyo by Oleg Tolstoy

Street Photography in Tokyo by Oleg Tolstoy

Street Photography in Tokyo by Oleg Tolstoy

Street Photography in Tokyo by Oleg Tolstoy

Tokyo Taxi by Oleg Tolstoy

Street Photography in Tokyo by Oleg Tolstoy

Photo of Cab Driver in Tokyo by Oleg Tolstoy

Photo of Cab Driver in Tokyo by Oleg Tolstoy

Photo of Taxi Driver in Tokyo by Oleg Tolstoy

Photo of Taxi Driver in Tokyo by Oleg Tolstoy

Photo of Taxi Driver in Tokyo by Oleg Tolstoy

Street Photography in Tokyo by Oleg Tolstoy

Tokyo Taxi by Oleg Tolstoy

Oleg Tolstoy: Website | Instagram | Twitter

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Oleg Tolstoy.

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Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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