“How did you get here? I heard all the roads to Gwangju are blocked,” a local reporter asks a German journalist in a South Korean city where students had been brutally cracked down upon while protesting. 

“I came by taxi,” the German answers quietly.

This is a memorable scene from “A Taxi Driver,” which is based on a true story that occurred during the Gwangju Uprising in 1980.

While local news companies are banned from reporting freely, a Seoul taxi driver manages to bring the foreign journalist to Gwangju through side roads.

Popular actor Song Kang-ho gives a great performance as the driver.

He complains about how the martial law imposed is ruining his business and resorts to cheating for money.

Still, he can’t just stand by and watch people in trouble. He feels righteous indignation and finds himself doing his utmost to deliver the journalist to his destination.

The German journalist recalls his experience, saying: “Without him, news of the Gwangju Uprising would have never reached the world.”

Without his quick thinking as a professional driver, it would have been difficult for the journalist to cover stories in Gwangju.

Reporters are often supported by such individual professionalism to uncover the truth.

A ride-sharing service started in Tokyo on April 8, allowing ordinary people to use their own cars, not taxis, to transport customers.

This change was introduced in response to a serious shortage of taxis. But it seems there are concerns about whether drivers will work with a due sense of professionalism and whether they can assure safety.

I wanted to give it a try and see how it worked.

I tried to hail a ride-sharing vehicle, but I couldn’t find any available cars.

It was probably because only a few vehicles were driving around.

I’d like to carefully see how it will change our lives, with expectations in my mind.

--The Asahi Shimbun, April 9

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.