JR West

Sanyo Shinkansen ending in-car food cart sales (unless you’ve got the cash for first-class)

Last bastion of regular-car Shinkansen wagon sales between Tokyo and Fukuoka falls.

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Japan travel alert: Cheapest seats on fastest Shinkansen will not be offered for Golden Week

You can still use the cheap-seat ticket, but you absolutely will not get a seat.

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Japan’s new random-destination die-roll train tickets — Amazing bargain for just 36 bucks

If luck’s on your side, you can save 83 percent off normal train fare, and even if it’s not, you’ll still save at least 34.

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Japan’s random-destination roll-the-dice Shinkansen travel packages are back and better than ever

JR West’s Tabikoro random train/hotel packages are a gamble where you really can’t lose.

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Why do seats at some Japanese station platforms face away from the trains?

Unusual design in Kansai is a clever example of thoughtful customer service, designed specifically with the user in mind.

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We roll the die on Japan’s new random-destination train tickets

How to buy a cheap ticket to…somewhere. 

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Japan’s random-destination roll-the-die train tickets: An amazingly cheap way to go…somewhere

Seven great destinations and a chance to save almost 150,000 yen if you’re especially lucky.

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Japan Rail West offering chance to sleep in a platypus’ mouth

Great for fans of strange mammals and/or contactless payment services.

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Japan reality edges closer to anime with Japan Railway’s VR-style humanoid robot

Step 1 towards the world of Patlabor is complete.

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Set of 4,368 train tickets goes on sale to commemorate Japan Railways 150th anniversary

The collection comes in a set of six binders so you can display all 4,368 of your tickets easily.

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Japanese train station returns lost item to customer with a heartwarming message

Rail staff know how bad it feels to lose an item during your travels.

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New Japanese mascot character: A train station monster that grabs children who don’t mind the gap

Kind of like a Japanese version of Pennywise the Clown. 

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JR West comes up with brilliant plan to save turtles and prevent train delays, touches netizens

Good for the humans, and good for the turtles, too!

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Japan’s “new normal” train manners poster: 7 steps for safe travel during the pandemic

Beloved character Doraemon fronts new manners campaign for trains in and around the Kyoto region.

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Shinkansen safety staff made to sit right next to bullet trains running at 300km/h

Is fear the best teacher?

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Human body parts found in crack on bonnet of Shinkansen bullet train

About 200 passengers were on board when the discovery was made.

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JR West unveils new Japanese long distance train with special features for passengers

This is an extra special rail experience, even by Japanese standards.

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Hello Kitty Shinkansen bullet train to debut in Japan this summer

The world-famous Sanrio character wants to welcome you onboard her very own high-speed train.

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Japan Railways opening reservations for ridiculously luxurious Kyoto-west Japan sleeper train

Train include bathtubs, skylights, and separate restaurant and bar.

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See a whole other side of Kyoto in this beautiful, quintessentially Japanese train, coming soon

With all the sights, sounds, and history Kyoto City has to offer, from the Golden Pavilion to the thousands of torii shrine gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine, most people forget that there is much more to Kyoto outside of the bustling capital city. Kyoto Prefecture actually reaches farther north, with its northernmost cities bordering the ocean on the Sea of Japan side, earning the area the nickname “Umi no Kyoto“, literally meaning “Kyoto of the Sea”.

For travelers looking to explore more than the usual tourist spots, there are trains departing from Kyoto Station which will take you for a scenic ride through the northern part of the prefecture to view other famous sites such as the beautiful Amanohashidate land bridge in Miyazu City. And now, Japan Railway (JR) has teamed up with a well-known designer to make the travel experience much more unique in this old-style Umi no Kyoto-themed train, set for departure soon!

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