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
The KANSAI MaaS app is supported by seven railway companies that operate major lines in the Kansai region: Osaka Metro, Kintetsu, Keihan, Nankai, JR West, Hankyu, and Hanshin.
To celebrate the launch of the new QR ticket system two special passes are being released for a limited period.
The KANSAI MaaS One-Day Pass is an economical one-day digital ticket that allows you to travel around the four cities of Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara with just one QR code. The ticket can be used on the lines of the seven participating companies. The pass is only available through the KANSAI MaaS app and isn’t sold from station counters or ticket machines.
The KANSAI MaaS One-Day Pass, which costs 3,000 yen, is now available to buy and can be used between February 27th and March 27th.
A map showing the lines covered by the Osaka Smart Access Pass
The Osaka Smart Access Pass is a one-day digital ticket that can be used on the lines of Osaka Metro and some lines of JR West. It is convenient for trips using the Osaka Metro, JR Osaka Loop Line, and JR Yumesaki Line, and also for using the JR Kyoto Line that links Osaka Station with the Shinkansen terminal of Shin-Osaka Station. This pass is also only available through the KANSAI MaaS app.
The Osaka Smart Access Pass, which costs 1,200 yen, is now available to buy and can be used until October 31st, 2025.
In preparation for the upcoming World Expo, which will be held in Osaka from April 13th, more special QR tickets will be released on the KANSAI MaaS app, including tickets targeting visitors from overseas.
By March this year the KANSAI MaaS website will also be updated to include an English version. The English website will enable visitors to Japan to purchase digital tickets, from outside Japan without having to download the app. Visitors will also be able to use the site to buy digital tickets for shuttle bus services to the Osaka World Expo.
Article by Michael Lambe. Images courtesy of KANSAI MaaS. All rights reserved.
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