Has anyone heard of digital ticket parking in Japan? I went into the city with a Japanese friend and the lot we entered didn’t give us a ticket. As in, we pulled up to the gate and it automatically opened for us. We saw several people paying for parking, but the signage and machine asked referenced a physical ticket, which we didn’t receive like I said. This didn’t really phase me as recently I went to a different city and one of the lots I entered had changed from ticketed to free parking in the time before I arrived that day, so several people were validating tickets at that lot, even though it was definitely not necessary for me and other people who entered around and after me.
She said digital tickets have become a thing though. As in you get a smartphone ticket or something and pay online. We live in the inaka though and don’t have experience with such situations. We both shrugged it off, but I’m wondering if anyone else has heard of such lots? I think that probably a majority of people nowadays have smartphones, but I know so many Japanese people who don’t have smartphones and with the way a lot of companies have 5-10 payment methods, I can’t imagine a parking lot deciding that only people with smartphones can use it and then not having clear signs or explanations anywhere.
although maybe that would be too much credit for this establishment as they displayed a map of the 2nd floor when you walked onto the 3rd floor from the garage…