Part of train service on Tokyo’s major Yamanote Line will be suspended January 7th-8th
On the weekend of January 7th and 8th (Saturday and Sunday), East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) announced that services on the outer loop of…
JR East
JR East releases first-ever rail pass for foreign residents in Japan
The Japan Rail Pass, which provides unlimited travel riding JR trains (including the shinkansen bullet train) for a period of one, two or three weeks,…
JR East Announces Half-Price Shinkansen Tickets until March 2021
Japan’s tourism industry has suffered this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Cherry blossom season in March and April saw parks closed to curb…
JR East updates app to include real-time crowding information
One of the many draws for tourists in Japan is the train system that connects the country from tip to toe, with Tokyo’s notoriously crowded…
5G tech makes switching between public and private networks easy
5G broadband is expected to become the norm in Japan in the not too distant future. At present, 5G is only used in confined spaces…
Spicy Mapo Soup Sold in Japanese Vending Machines Is Our New Favorite Hot Beverage
For passengers standing on Japanese train platforms in the brisk December air, there’s a row of red labels on the vending machine which looks particularly…
Harajuku Station to be demolished after 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Anyone who’s ever visited Harajuku for the Instagrammable rainbow-colored cotton candy, or the eccentric fashion displays in Takeshita Street will have passed through the iconic…
New Subscription Service Lets You Have Any One Drink Per Day at Smart Vending Machines
Monthly subscription services have been making inroads in the food and dining industry in Japan lately. For example, Yaro Ramen offers a monthly plan for…
Japan Railways To Implement Private Work Cubicles And Shared Work Spaces In Tokyo Train Stations For Lateworking Salarymen
Commuters in Tokyo will soon have a new option to catch up on work on the go, as Japan Railways East is launching a new…
Japanese Railway Gets Spark With New Pikachu Train
Character-themed trains are nothing new in Japan, but that doesn’t mean old favorites can’t get an upgrade. Introduced originally by Japan Rail East in 2012…
Inside Japan’s New Luxury Suite Train That Departs From Ueno’s Platform 13½
Harry Potter fans got a little giddy when JR East announced that Ueno Station in Tokyo would open up a “Platform 13½” in order to…