Japan Transportation Guide
JR West Hotels have opened a new luxury hotel in the Umeda district of Osaka that can be accessed directly from the West Gate of JR Osaka Station. The hotel, which opened on July 31st, is called The Osaka Station Hotel and is part of Marriott International’s “Autograph Collection” of independent, upscale hotels.
The Osaka Station Hotel is located inside JP Tower Osaka
A new wellness hotel has opened at Aomori Station that offers its guests a choice of relaxation, rejuvenation, or a lifestyle transformation.
Hotel ReLabo at the new JR Aomori Station East Exit Building
The hotel, ReLabo Medical Spa and Stay, opened on July 11 in the new JR Aomori Station East Exit Building with medical and wellness facilities operated by the Jikeikai Medical Corporation. [Read more…]
Tango Railway has released details of its gourmet fall and winter menu on the Kuro-matsu restaurant train.
Fine dining can be enjoyed in the luxury sightseeing train Kuro-matsu
This summer, a train running on Fukui’s Echizen Railway will be decorated inside and out with images of the Pokemon character Dragonite. The train is officially called the “Kairyu Train” as Kairyu (which means “cheerful dragon”) is the Japanese name for the Dragonite character.
Echizen Railway’s Dragonite Train
Rail fans will be upset to learn that Japan’s high-speed track-testing bullet trains, commonly known as Doctor Yellow, are set to retire in the coming years.
The Doctor Yellow inspection train
Eight railway companies in Japan’s eastern Kanto region have announced that they will stop using tickets with magnetic strips and replace them with tickets using QR codes.
Many people now use prepaid IC cards or smartphone apps which can be scanned at the ticket gates. However, paper tickets with magnetic strips are still sold at railway stations and these need to be inserted into the ticket gates before popping out on the other side of the gate.
An image from JR East showing the old magnetic and new QR code ticket systems
Three major railway companies in Japan’s western region of Kansai have announced plans to introduce a contactless payment system using debit and credit cards.
An image of Hankyu Railway’s new card reader system
Up till now travelers have had to use either paper tickets or prepaid IC cards to pay their fares. But by the end of 2024, passengers at the stations of Kintetsu Railway, Hankyu Railway, and Hanshin Electric Railway will be able to pay their fares by simply tapping their bank cards at the ticket gates. [Read more…]
Seibu Railway has announced that from January 1, 2024, all of its trains will run on electricity from 100% renewable sources and that it will operate with effectively zero CO2 emissions. According to the railway company, the reduction in CO2 emissions will be equivalent to the amount produced by 57,000 households.
Seibu Shinjuku Line 30000 series train. All Seibu trains will run on renewable energy from January 1st
Hankyu Railway will introduce a new seat reservation service on the Hankyu Kyoto Line from the summer of 2024. This will be Hankyu’s first seat reservation service and will be available on limited express, commuter express and semi-express trains that run between Osaka and Kyoto.
A design image of the new Hankyu Railway PRiVACE car
Three colorful new trains are now running on the Namboku Line in Osaka Prefecture in advance of the line’s extension to the city of Minoh next year. The trains are designed to help promote the charms Minoh – which is particularly famous for the beautiful scenery of its forested park and waterfall.
Two of the colorful new train designs inspired by Minoh City
