I guess it depends on who you ask, but living in Japan I got the impression they're seen as an important role in society. Every taxi I had ever taken had a middle aged man in a business suit driving. I'm not talking about "getting picked up from the airport on business" taxi drivers, I received extremely professional service any time of night from any random street. Others in this thread point out that they're sometimes crabby, but as long as you know the basics of Japanese etiquette I think you're in for a good experience. While a was cautious at first (as any person in a foreign country ought to be), I quickly stopped feeling like I needed to protect myself from scams.
Try Italy, Greece, Spain and Czech Republic to name a few.
I don't like Uber as a company, but I dislike Taxi's in foreign countries a lot more. It is not the foreign part that I dislike, but not knowing the formal and informal rules. What if the meter starts at 5 euros? Is that a normal amount here? What if the meter isn't turned on and the driver insists that I make a deal? Is that normal here? etc. Uber might be more expensive than local taxi's in some places, but at least I know what I get.
I agree, except if you're getting a taxi from the airport, as plenty of drivers will happily add on 10-20€ to your price. I always recommend to visiting friends to shop around for a better price, or to just order online (google: taxi airport vienna and lots of websites will pop-up).
