Uber looks to expand further into rural Japan, NY Times reports

Since entering Japan in 2014, Uber (UBER) has faced issues entering the country’s highly guarded taxi industry, facing regulations restricting the company’s app to hailing only licensed cabs, River Akira Davis of The New York Times reports. Recently, however, demographic pressures have begun pushing the government to change as the population declines, leaving elderly residents in rural areas without transportation. Uber is now operating in specific areas where public transport has been considered insufficient, such as Kaga, with the hope this will serve as a blueprint for expansion into other rural areas.