{"ok":true,"trend":{"id":167773,"platform":"mastodon","region":"global","key":"with more expressways going cashless, the handy etc card is becoming an essential add-on when renting or buying a car in","title":"With more expressways going cashless, the handy ETC card is becoming an essential add-on when renting or buying a car in","url":"https://mastodon.social/@thejapantimes/117345535953095412","first_seen":"2026-09-28T00:03:42.929728Z","last_seen":"2026-09-28T02:47:42.459676Z","last_rank":6,"peak_rank":4,"last_volume":1,"peak_volume":1,"seen_count":3,"score":65.83,"category_hint":"autos","section":"life","category":"autos","summary":"As Japan's expressways move toward cashless tolling, the ETC card is increasingly being treated as a must-have option when renting or buying a car. The Japan Times explains what drivers need to know, from how the card works to why toll gates that once accepted cash are phasing it out, leaving motorists without ETC at a growing disadvantage.","why":"Japan's expressways are going cashless, making ETC cards a practical necessity for drivers.","tone":"neutral","entities":["Japan","ETC card","The Japan Times"],"summarized_at":"2026-09-28T00:05:01.846852Z","meta":{"tag":"cars","via":"scan","kind":"status","lang":"en","generic":0.07,"instance":"mastodon.social","tag_uses":51},"nw":0.38,"promo":0.04,"kind":"howto_explainer","importance":1.09,"hidden":false,"hide_reason":null,"judged_at":"2026-09-28T00:03:43.541611Z","title_en":"ETC cards becoming essential for drivers in Japan","section_name":"Life","category_name":"Autos","timeline":[{"captured_at":"2026-09-28T00:03:42.929728Z","rank":4,"volume":1},{"captured_at":"2026-09-28T01:25:42.491576Z","rank":4,"volume":1},{"captured_at":"2026-09-28T02:47:42.459676Z","rank":6,"volume":1}],"posts":[{"platform":"mastodon","url":"https://mastodon.social/@thejapantimes/117345535953095412","author":"thejapantimes","title":null,"snippet":"With more expressways going cashless, the handy ETC card is becoming an essential add-on when renting or buying a car in Japan. Here's everything you need to know: https://www. japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/09/…","posted_at":"2026-09-27T23:13:00.537000Z","likes":1}],"elsewhere":[],"window":"7d"}}