The ‘taxi prince’ fighting to make sure Uber won’t win in Japan

Ichiro Kawanabe, chairman of Nihon Kotsu Co., poses for a photograph in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017. Kawanabe is aiming to shake up his own 1.72 trillion yen ($15 billion) industry, with a taxi-hailing app and plans to offer fixed-rate pricing and carpooling. So far, his ambition earned him Uber Technologies Inc.'s wrath and a place on its blacklist. Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg

It’s impossible for Ichiro Kawanabe to order up an Uber in Japan. The ride-hailing company has banned him from having an account. 

That’s not a problem, though, because he rarely has trouble getting around; Kawanabe runs Nihon Kotsu Co, Tokyo's biggest taxi company.