Nankai Electric Railway have released details of new cable cars for the Koyasan Cable Line. Two sets of two linked cabins will be introduced.

The Koyasan Cable Line links Gokurakubashi Station on the Nankai Koya Line with Koyasan Station on top of Mount Koya. The town of Koya on top of the mountain is the location of a historic Buddhist monastic settlement and a center of spiritual retreat. As such it has also become a popular tourist location with many temples offering overnight accommodation and the opportunity to try vegetarian Buddhist cuisine and early morning meditation. The cable line is an important route for travelers and pilgrims who wish to visit this sacred location, and it is also important for the townsfolk of Koya for whom it is an important means of transportation. [Read more…]

JR West will open a new station by Kyoto’s Umekoji Park in the spring of 2019. The new station, which has not yet been named, will be located between Kyoto Station and Tambaguchi Station on the JR Sagano Line (JR San-in Line).

[Read more…]

JR East now run a special weekend train for cyclists traveling from Tokyo to the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture.

Named the B.B.Base, or Boso Bicycle Base, the new train is fitted with space-saving upright bike racks, so that cyclists can easily board and stow their bicycles. On most trains in Japan cyclists must fold or dismantle their bicycles when boarding a train, but as the following video shows taking your bicycle on board the B.B.Base is totally hassle-free. [Read more…]

Work has begun on a major renovation of Katase-Enoshima Station in the popular sea-side resort destination of Fujisawa. The station, first built in 1929, is popular for its distinctive “Dragon Palace” design, but after 90 years of use its overall condition has deteriorated and it is clearly in need of repair. It is to be rebuilt in a similar Dragon Palace style, and work on the building should be completed by 2020.

[Read more…]

JR Central has announced a comprehensive expansion plan for its free wireless LAN Wi-Fi service beginning this spring.

Free Wi-Fi will be expanded to all JR Tokaido Shinkansen stations between Tokyo and Osaka. Currently free W-Fi is only provided at 6 stations: Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Shin-Osaka. But from March 2018 this service will be extended to the remaining 11 stations. As the number of overseas tourists using the Tokaido Shinkansen is increasing, JR Central has decided to make it easier for them to obtain travel information with their smartphones. Areas where free Wi-Fi is available will be marked with a sign. Typically these signs will be found by ticket gates or in station waiting rooms. [Read more…]

Eizan Electric Railway have announced the debut date for their new tourist train, “Hiei” as well as releasing new details, timetables and fresh images of the train’s striking exterior and interior design.

The Eizan Railway operates a small rural railway network in northern Kyoto. Two lines run from Demachiyanagi Station in the city’s north east: the Eizan Main Line which runs to Yase-Hieizanguchi Station at the base of Mount Hiei, and the Kurama Line which runs to the villages of Kibune and Kurama. Both lines terminate at sacred mountains topped with temples and both lines are known for their super scenic routes. In 1999 Eizan Railway introduced the popular “Kirara” observation car which has large windows so that passengers can fully enjoy the views along the Kurama Line. The new Hiei tourist train is to run along the Eizan Main Line taking passengers to the foot of Mount Hiei. [Read more…]

JR East have introduced a new “guardian” system for parents whose children travel to school by train. This new service is called “Mamorail” which combines the Japanese word for “protect” with the English word “rail”. Under the new system when children use prepaid IC cards such as SUICA or PASMO to pass through station ticket gates an automatic message will be sent to a parent’s mobile phone or smartphone. This notification will include information on the time and location as well as the remaining balance on the card. This way parents will know that their children are getting to school on time, when they are nearly home, and also be able to check when their IC travel card needs topping up.

[Read more…]

JR West will open a new station on the JR Kyoto Line called JR Sojiji Station in the spring of 2018. The new station will be located between Settsu-Tonda Station and Ibaraki Station and will also be close to Hankyu Sojiji Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line. Both stations are named after the local Sojiji Temple which is famous for its annual Kitchen Knife Ceremony. Because JR Sojiji Station will be so close to Sojiji Temple the style of the new station building is designed to create the impression that it is a gateway to the temple itself.

[Read more…]

Hankyu Hanshin Holdings are currently fine tuning plans for a major new hotel in Osaka’s Umeda district which will be opened in 2019. The new hotel will be part of a massive building now being built by the electronics retailer Yodobashi Holdings. With approximately 1,000 guest rooms the hotel will be the biggest in Osaka City, and with most room rates set under 20,000 yen per night Hankyu Hanshin anticipate that it will be popular with both business and tourist travelers.

[Read more…]

Tokyo Station now has a prayer room to serve the spiritual needs of the many Muslim passengers who travel through this major transportation hub. The prayer room was opened in June, and is the first such room at a JR East railway station, though there are some available at airports and hotels in the Kanto region.

[Read more…]