On June 1, Times 24, the company that operates all those parking lots, launched its ambitious Times Plus car-sharing service. So far, car sharing has been an endeavor limited to local governments and non-profit organizations. Times Plus takes it to a whole new practical level.

Unlike traditional automobile rentals, car sharing is mainly for people with short-term needs. The cars made available by Times Plus are rented in 15-minute blocks of time rather than the usual half-day or full day blocks. They offer two types of cars, "basic" (Demio, Move, Prius, etc.) and, starting in July, "premium" (BMW, Audi, Fiat, etc.). The basic fee is ¥200 for 15 minutes and premium is ¥400 for 15 minutes, which includes everything, even insurance and gasoline. There are also "pack" plans for certain times: "early night packs" (6 p.m. to midnight) or "late night packs" (midnight to 9 a.m.) at ¥1,500 each plus mileage fees, and "double night packs" (6 p.m. to 9 a.m.) at ¥2,000 plus mileage fees.

The real benefit of Times Plus is its convenience: No personnel to deal with, no forms to fill out. You can reserve a car through your PC or cell phone. Then all you do is go to the designated parking lot at your registered time and find the car you selected. Using your special members card you unlock the door, retrieve the keys from the glove box, and just start driving. If you need gas, there are cards in the visor that allow you to purchase gas at either Eneos or Idemitsu gas stations and charge it to Times Plus.