JR West have announced plans to extend use of its ICOCA prepaid card service to all Hokuriku Main Line stations in Fukui Prefecture. The ICOCA card is a convenient rechargeable smart card that you can use in place of a ticket on the JR West railway network as well as on subways, private railways and buses throughout Japan. However, until now it has not been supported at stations in Fukui Prefecture. From the summer of 2018 all 19 stations in Fukui Prefecture between Shin-Hikida Station and Ushinoya Station will begin to support the card. The exact commencement date for this service and other details are to be posted by JR West at a later date.

[Read more…]

JR Hokkaido have announced a series of measures to improve services for overseas visitors which include the expansion of free Wi-Fi services and providing more travel information in Chinese, English, and Korean.

Free Wi-Fi

JR Hokkaido are increasing the number of stations that offer free Wi-Fi access. Currently 13 stations in Hokkaido offer this service, but 20 more stations will be added to this system this year.

To use the Wi-Fi service simply select the “0000FLETS-PORTAL” network and register your email address and password. This gives you 60 minutes of free Wi-Fi access, but you can login again as many times as you want. What is more, once registered you can get free Wi-Fi access not only at Hokkaido railway stations but at around 4,100 locations around Hokkaido where NTT East have the following sign displayed:

[Read more…]

Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company is introducing new multilingual ticket machines at all 20 stations on the Tsukuba Express railway line. The Tsukuba Express (also called TX) is a high speed railway linking Tokyo’s famous “electric town” of Akihabara with the science and research city of Tsukuba in Ibaraki. The TX, which first opened in 2005, cut down travel time between Akihabara and Tsukuba to just 45 minutes from a previous 90 minute journey along the JR Joban Line.

[Read more…]

This year sees the 6th anniversary of the Kyushu Shinkansen line’s completion, and to celebrate JR Kysuhu are offering two special discount tickets. Both a “one coin ticket” and a one day “free pass” will be available for use on the anniversary date of March 12th.

[Read more…]

JR East have revealed details of a new hotel which is currently under construction at the east exit of JR Sendai Station. The stylish new hotel will be called “Hotel Metropolitan Sendai East” to distinguish it from the original Hotel Metropolitan Sendai which stands at the station’s west exit. In a first for JR East Group hotels all guest rooms in the new hotel will be completely non-smoking.

[Read more…]

The popular mountain resort town of Karuizawa, known for its hot springs and gorgeous scenery, is to gain a new attraction this autumn in the form of a small railway theme park attached to Karuizawa Station. The theme park is part of Shinano Railway Company’s general redevelopment plans which are meant to lessen passenger congestion in the current station building. These plans also include making use of the neighboring Old Station Memorial Hall which until recently saw service as a museum displaying old railway photos and memorabilia.

[Read more…]

Tobu Railway will debut a new set of #500 series trains in the spring of 2017 which will run limited express services from Tokyo to a variety of destinations in northern Japan. The trains named “Revaty” will run from Asakusa in central Tokyo to scenic locations such as Nikko, Kinugawa Onsen, and Aizu-Wakamatsu.

The new train’s sleek design has been overseen by the award-winning industrial designer Ken Kiyoyuki Okuyama. Okuyama is best known for designing Ferrari automobiles but has actually designed a large number of other railway vehicles including JR East’s luxury cruise Train Suite Shiki-Shima which is also scheduled to debut this May. [Read more…]

Capsule hotels are one of Japan’s most famous inventions. These basic lodgings packed with tiny sleeping pods are very popular both with single travelers on a budget, and also with long-distance commuters who party too late and miss their last train. For foreign visitors too, staying in a capsule hotel is one of those unique experiences you simply must try when in Japan.

[Read more…]

Tobu Railway have announced a new railway station to be opened at Tobu World Square theme park. Tobu World Square Station will be located between Kosagoe and Kinugawa Onsen stations on the Tobu Kinugawa Line and will be formally opened in the summer of 2017. The new station will be 700 meters to the north of Kosagoe Station with one platform and a single track. It is the first new station built by Tobu Railway in 12 years.

[Read more…]

JR East are expanding the number of stations that accept Suica cards on the Chuo Main Line that connects Tokyo with Nagoya and the Shinonoi Line in Nagano Prefecture. The service will be expanded on the route between Shimpu Station in Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture and Matsumoto Station in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture. Stations on this route that do not currently accept the card will do so from next April, and other stations that currently accept the card for limited services will expand their range of usage.

[Read more…]