23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
red taxis sitting side by side on a street in Kyoto

I live in California, which means that the main modes of transportation are Ubers or Lyfts, and mostly comprised of modern cars. I was shocked to see only taxis in Kyoto, most of which were older Crown Victorias or Comforts. I particularly liked the different lights that the taxi companies installed on the tops of the taxis; you can see the Shamrock logo of this particular taxi company in the photo. I was originally trying to take a photo of just the left car, and was excited when an identical taxi pulled alongside it. I also liked the vending machine in the background, which also seems to be as much a staple of Kyoto as the taxis.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: Kyoto, Japan
Camera: NIKON D40X
Copyright: © Sydne Aguilar