Japan Transportation Guide
To celebrate the upcoming Osaka World Expo, JR West has introduced special “Parade Trains” that will run along one of the rail routes for the Expo venue. These trains have an onboard “immersive video experience” that is intended to create a sense of anticipation for the Expo.
JR West Parade Train for Osaka Expo 2025
Rail passengers in Japan’s western Kansai region will soon be able to use a smartphone app to buy QR tickets that can be used at the stations of seven major railway companies.
KANSAI MaaS is a smartphone app that can be used to perform route searches, access station maps, and look up a train service’s current status as well as to buy digital tickets. The app can also provide tourist information such as model courses and accommodation tips.
KANSAI Maas One-Day Pass
Lots of brand new commercial facilities will open in Japan’s two top cities in 2025 and some older facilities are getting a major facelift! Here are some of the most interesting locations opening or reopening in Tokyo and Osaka this year.
Harajuku Quest
Lugging heavy luggage on and off trains, and trying to find space to store them on your journey is a problem many travelers experience in Japan. But now a new service is available that should make life easier for guests staying at certain hotels.
New Same-Day Luggage Delivery Service Between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka
The “InterCity Hotel Baggage Link” is a new same-day delivery service that uses Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains to send luggage between designated hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto or Osaka. Mitsui Fudosan, JR Central, and Sagawa Express have teamed up to provide the service, which is now available to guests staying at Mitsui Garden hotels and The Celestine hotels. [Read more…]
JR East has announced plans to upgrade Suica, its prepaid IC card, over the next 10 years, dramatically expanding its range of use. The railway company has dubbed the plans the “Suica Renaissance”.
An illustration from JR East showing Suica’s future range of use
Currently, the main use of Suica is instead of paper tickets. After putting money onto your card at a ticket machine, you can simply tap the card on ticket gates as you go through. The card can also be used on buses, and for buying things from vending machines, convenience stores and some restaurants. [Read more…]
JR West’s Limited Express Mahoroba, a train that currently runs between Osaka and Nara only as a seasonal service on Saturdays and holidays, will become a regular service on March 15th 2025.
The train will also receive an upgrade with refurbished carriages scheduled to be introduced in April next year.
The Limited Express Mahoroba will get an upgrade in the spring and autumn of 2025
In September, Odakyu Electric Railway announced that it has begun designing a new Romancecar train. “Romancecar” is the name given to Odakyu’s luxury limited express trains, which run a variety of services, but are best known for connecting Tokyo with resort areas such as Hakone, Enoshima and Kamakura.
The original Romancecar, the SE #3000 series
Kintetsu introduced a new train series, the 8A, in October, which is now running on Kintetsu’s Nara, Kyoto, Kashihara and Tenri lines. Built to replace aging rolling stock, the 8A series is Kintetsu’s first new commuter train in 24 years.
Kintetsu’s new 8A series commuter train
Tokyu Railways’ #2020 series 2137 electric train has been transformed into a “Snoopy Train” decorated inside and out with characters from the world-famous Peanuts comic. The train can now be seen running on the Tokyu Denentoshi Line,Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line, and the Tobu Isesaki and Nikko lines.
The headmark that decorates the front of the Snoopy Train
This summer a brand new shopping mall opened in the JP Tower Osaka, a 39-story building which is directly connected to the West Gate of JR Osaka Station in Umeda.
A design image of the JP Tower Osaka entrance
