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In every country I've been in - save for Japan - cars have their mirrors on their doors. Even most cars in Japan do but the taxis don't. Any ideas as to why? It just seems strange. Here's a pic:

enter image description here

Compare to this:

enter image description here

JonathanReez
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neubert
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    This question appears to be off-topic because it is about cars, not travel. It's not just taxis in Japan that have these mirrors, but many vehicles. – Doc Jun 15 '14 at 04:16
  • What other sorts of vehicles? I've never seen them before on any vehicles in the US, the UK, France, Germany, or any other country I've been to. – neubert Jun 15 '14 at 05:35
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    Other vehicles in Japan. See http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/11/18/reference/fender-mirrors/ for a good description. This still doesn't make it a travel question though... – Doc Jun 15 '14 at 08:10
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    @Doc Your link also contains the complete answer in my opinion :) – Bernhard Jun 15 '14 at 11:34
  • We drove a suzuki some 30 years ago with hood mirrors –  Jun 15 '14 at 13:09
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    I'm not saying that this is on topic, but we have questions on toilets, identifying things etc. I think we can pay some heed to a man's curiosity while traveling in this case as well. AFAIK there isn't a good SE for this question as of now. – Aditya Somani Jun 16 '14 at 04:59
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    I agree with @AdityaSomani we should cater curiosity question here. There are a dozen example of similar questions –  Jun 16 '14 at 08:49
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    I argue that this question should be reopened and recognised as a valid question on travel.se http://meta.travel.stackexchange.com/questions/1758/should-we-really-close-curiosity-questions –  Jun 16 '14 at 14:43
  • Until a few years ago it was law in Japan that all cars have such mirrors. You could see it on imported used cars originating from Japan too. Since even slightly old cars are pretty rare in Japan it's not surprising that you don't see it very often any more even not so long after the rule was changed. I guess the rule remains for taxis or taxis are just mundane and conservative and stick to the old way. – hippietrail Jun 23 '14 at 12:30
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    @AdityaSomani There's a proposed Japanese culture SE in commitment phase though, which would be a great place for questions like this if it makes it to beta. – starsplusplus Sep 03 '14 at 17:13
  • @starsplusplus Thanks for that info, I haven't been to Area 51 in some time, just committed to that proposal! Cheers! :D – Aditya Somani Sep 03 '14 at 17:16
  • @AdityaSomani No problem. It's only been in commitment phase for a month but it's already at 31% so I'm hoping it makes it to beta :) Spread the word! – starsplusplus Sep 03 '14 at 17:17

2 Answers2

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Thanks @Doc for the useful link at Japan Times.

The main reason taxi drivers prefer fender mirrors is that they provide better visibility,” Osuga explained. “There is less of a blind spot so it’s easier to confirm what is happening at the rear and side of the car, especially on the driver’s side.”

Another advantage of fender mirrors compared to door mirrors is they protrude less from the body of the car, which can really help when maneuvering in Japan’s narrow roads and crowded traffic. “Those centimeters may not matter for the average driver,” Osuga allowed. “But for professional drivers, who are behind the wheel all day, it makes a big difference.”

Finally, taxi drivers feel that fender mirrors allow their customers greater privacy because drivers can use the mirrors without turning their head toward the passenger seat. “There’s no way to use side-door mirrors without turning your head significantly to the side,” Osuga explained. “That motion might be misconstrued as an effort to look into the back seat, in a way that would invade the customer’s privacy. To avoid that possibility, and to extend as much privacy as possible to their customers, professional drivers prefer fender mirrors, which they can use without turning their head.”

Aditya Somani
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user2617804
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    I've used many taxis and never gave it any thought, but your last paragraph makes PERFECT sense... for Japan. – Celada Jun 24 '14 at 18:37
  • Do customers often sit in the passenger seat in taxis in Japan, then? – starsplusplus Sep 03 '14 at 17:12
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    @starsplusplus Bit of a late answer but when I rode a taxi in Japan we were with a group of 4. So yes, with enough persons. – Riley May 19 '17 at 12:53
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We use fender mirrors on our support vans for bicycle tours. They have one huge advantage in that they show us what is right next to and just behind our shoulders on both sides of the vans. These areas are blind spots with the door mirrors and require taking your eyes off the road ahead to swivel around and look. And I imagine with the longer hood of the taxi, this improvement would be even greater than on our vans.