Is Uber in Japan legitimate?

I have friends visiting me here in Japan. I've been trying to advise them on how to get to Tokyo from Narita and they're adamant on using Uber XL. I'm meeting them at the hotel via public transit.

I live in a rural area in western Japan and never see/hear about Uber drivers here, just regular taxi services. Does Uber work the same way here as in countries like the US? Is it reliable?

Old threads on this sub seem to imply Uber is basically a glorified taxi calling service in Japan. Is this information outdated?

EDIT: One is disabled and none of them speak Japanese. This is their first time outside the US, so they're nervous about using the train system until we meet up.