The railway and the religion (2) - Memorials at Soji-ji Temple

Soji-ji is a temple in Tsurumi (Yokohama city), about 13.5 miles south of Tokyo station. It is one of two head temples of the Soto sect of Zen Buddhism. There are many wooden buildings, but they were mostly built in the 20th century, as the temple relocated from Ishikawa Prefecture in 1911. Even so, Soji-ji is still one of the most important and influential temples in Japan.

This temple is also known for tombs of celebrities, including Yujiro Ishihara (actor, 1934-1987) and Antonio Inoki (a professional wrestler and politician, 1943-2022), but it is not well known that this temple has a connection with railways nearby. There are memorials of two disasters, namely Sakuragicho train fire and Tsurumi rail crash.

At 1:45 pm on 24th April 1951, a commuter train on Tokaido branch line (now Negishi line) hit a loose overhead wire after a maintenance worker accidentally cut off another wire and failed to close the mainline, because he thought it would not obstruct trains. The wire tangled up in a pantograph and caused a short circuit with sparks. The train was made of wood, and thus it was quickly engulfed in fire, but many passengers were unable to evacuate as windows did not open, because the Japanese National Railways staff had locked them to tackle fare evasion. As a result, 106 passengers were killed.

(Some smartphones may fail to view the image correctly)

Soji-ji, the largest temple in the area, held a memorial service two weeks after the tragedy, where the Emperor Hirohito and the Empress Nagako offered flowers. A memorial and a Buddhist statue were erected here by the then stationmaster of Tokyo and the then General Secretary of the National Railway Workers' Union in the following year.

Another, even more devastating disaster took place near the temple on 9th November 1963. At around 9:50 pm, a freight train on Tokaido freight line derailed and collided with two Yokosuka line trains. 161 people were killed, making it the second deadliest train accident after the Second World War.

Since the crash site was very close to Soji-ji, many bodies were brought into the temple. A year later, priests of the temple erected a large memorial, with names of 160 passengers inscribed. The JNR (and later JR East) have conducted a ceremony here on 9th November every year.

Hyakken Roka, a 164-metre long (538-ft long) corridor, is not just an ordinary corridor that divides the precinct into parts. It was a temporary morgue on the day of Tsurumi rail crash (see also 4:38 in the video). A little ceremony is held here every day to remember the victims. Young monks run the corridor with a watering can, and the two lines of water sprinkle are said to represent railway track or incense sticks.

Both Sakuragicho train fire and Tsurumi rail crash, which are amongst the Five Disasters of the Japanese National Railways, happened when Japan was recovering from the War, and thus the railway in Japan was not as safe or reliable as it is today. Whilst most people have already forgotten them, the monuments at Soji-ji remind us of the past tragedies.

(Note that Soji-ji is a place of worship, so any boisterous or disturbing behaviour is not accepted.)

Chuo Line, another route to Nagoya

Blue: Tokaido Shinkansen　Orange: Chuo Main Line

Nagoya is the fourth largest city in Japan with approximately 2.34 million people. It is 267 km (166 miles) west of Tokyo, but because of topographical reasons, railways and roads connecting the two cities exceed 320 km (200 miles). Most travellers between the two cities rely on Tokaido Shinkansen, the oldest high-speed rail in the world, as it takes just 1.5 hours and trains run every 4-10 minutes at the daytime.

It is often overlooked that there are two more railways that directly connect Tokyo and Nagoya. Tokaido Main Line, which largely parallels the Tokaido Shinkansen, still serves the cities. Whilst most passengers have already shifted to the Shinkansen, Tokaido Main Line is still important for freight trains. In addition, Chuo Main Line also plays role in these cities, though very few people use it to travel between Tokyo and Nagoya. This article focuses on Chuo Main Line, and whether it is worth to choose this route.

Like Tokaido Main Line, Chuo Main Line starts from Tokyo station. Chuo Line is well known in Tokyo for orange and overcrowded commuter trains. Intercity services, Limited Express Azusa and Kaiji, run along with the commuter trains. Azusa is faster and goes farther, as it connects Tokyo or Shinjuku and Matsumoto.

Most Azusa services are provided by E353 series, which might look a little bizarre but quite new and thus clean. Even amidst the labour shortage, an onboard trolley service with foods and drinks is available on most trains.

From ruins of Kofu Castle

After leaving Takao in the western end of Tokyo Metropolis, the train dives into mountains. Major stations on Chuo Main Line include Otsuki (where Fujikyu Railway, which is highly popular amongst foreign tourists visiting Mt Fuji), Kofu (the capital of Yamanashi Prefecture) and Kami-Suwa (which is close to Lake Suwa).

A little vineyard at Shiojiri station platform

There has been no regular direct service between Tokyo and Nagoya since the 1960s, so at least one transfer is required. In most cases, it is necessary to change trains at Shiojiri station in Nagano Prefecture, which is about 2.5 hours from Shinjuku by Azusa. It is one of a few "border stations" where operational border of JR East and JR Central exists. That is why, the line is sometimes divided into Chuo East Line (Tokyo - Shiojiri, JR East) and Chuo West Line (Shiojiri - Nagoya, JR Central).

Shinonoi Line, which goes on to Matsumoto and Nagano, branches off here. Since not just Azusa but also many regional services on Chuo East Line start from or terminate at Matsumoto, some people misunderstand that Matsumoto is part of Chuo Main Line.

There is another limited express train called Shinano, running between Nagano and Nagoya via Matsumoto and Shiojiri. 383 series is used for Shinano, and the rolling stock was first introduced nearly 30 years ago, so some units look shabby. A brand new train called 385 series is due to be introduced in financial year 2026.

(A typical post towns in Japan)

Stations on the western part of Chuo Main Line are mostly smaller than those in the Greater Tokyo Area. A few of them in Nagano Prefecture, Narai for example, are close to post towns in the 17th to 19th centuries. Old wooden buildings have been preserved in some places and become tourist spots.

After leaving Nakatsugawa, the towns by the line look more like suburb residential areas than countryside. From Kozoji to the west, the line gets increasingly busy with long commuter trains. Shinano arrives at Nagoya station two hours after leaving Shiojiri.

It takes about 5 hours in total from Tokyo to Nagoya via Chuo Main Line, about 3.5 hours longer than Tokaido Shinkansen. Nevertheless, only one transfer is necessary, and both Azusa and Shinano run hourly, so it is not difficult to complete the journey.

However, the total cost of Chuo Main Line route is almost the same as Tokaido Shinkansen, as the Chuo route is longer than Shinkansen not just by duration but also actual distance, and requires two separate limited express tickets. Therefore, it should be noted that the Chuo route is just for those wishing to try a different route or those fed up with a boring Shinkansen journey, not for anyone looking for a cheaper alternative.

"Local" that was faster than "Rapid"

Train companies in Japan provide various types of service, ranging from cheap slow trains to expensive but fast trains. Generally speaking, Futsu (普通, meaning "standard" "normal" or "ordinary", often referred to as "Local" in English) is the slowest one amongst all, calling at all stations. Kaisoku, (快速, often referred to as "Rapid" in English), is usually a semi-fast service that does not charge extra fares. However, there were a few Local trains that called at fewer stations than Rapid trains.

Chuo Main Line

Chuo Main Line in Tokyo is one of the busiest commuter railways in the country. Orange commuter trains run mainly between Tokyo and Takao, operating as rapid or special rapid. In addition, yellow commuter trains run between Ochanomizu and Mitaka, which are labelled Kakueki Teisha (各駅停車, meaning "stopping at all stations", also often referred to as "Local" in English). The line from Takao to the west is mostly served by shorter suburban trains, and services there are called Futsu (already confusing).

Until the last day of November 1993, there were a few Futsu services to and from Shinjuku, provided by blue and white suburban trains. Despite being called Futsu (Local), they stopped at fewer stations than rapid services or even special rapid services. Service patterns of orange commuter trains were the same as those of today, but the Futsu trains stopped only at Mitaka, Tachikawa, Hachioji and Takao. The trains did not even stop at Mitaka before 1986.

The table below shows Chuo Line service patterns in 1993 (weekdays). Rapid services called at all stations on the list.

	Special Rapid	Futsu
Shinjuku	✓	✓
Koenji
Asagaya
Ogikubo
Nishi-Ogikubo
Kichijoji
Mitaka	✓	✓
Musashi-Sakai
Higashi-Koganei
Musashi-Koganei
Kokubunji	✓
Nishi-Kokubunji
Kunitachi
Tachikawa	✓	✓
Hino	✓
Toyoda	✓
Hachioji	✓	✓
Nishi-Hachioji	✓
Takao	✓	✓

Due to an increased demand for commuter trains and congestion, the Futsu trains between Shinjuku and Takao were replaced with more frequent Chuo Tokkai special rapid services on 1 December 1993.

Joban Line

In addition to Kakueki Teisha (Local, all-stations) services between Ayase and Toride, Futsu services that were faster than rapid services had also existed on Joban Line until March 2004. The rapid services call at Nippori, Mikawashima, Minami-Senju, Kita-Senju, Matsudo, Kashiwa, Abiko, Tennodai and Toride. Meanwhile, Futsu services did not stop at Mikawashima and Minami-Senju during rush hours. The Futsu services called at even fewer stations before 1988, and some of them overtook rapid trains. They were extremely confusing especially for those who were not familiar with the line.

Since March 2004, all Futsu services stop at Mikawashima and Minami-Senju stations. As both the Futsu and rapid have become effectively the same, JR East incorporated the Futsu to rapid services in October 2004.

Why were there such confusing Local trains?

In both cases, Futsu trains were faster than rapid trains. To understand these tricky cases, it is essential to understand subtle and confusing differences between Japanese terms.

Traditionally, Futsu in the Greater Tokyo Aera was classified into ressha (列車), while rapid and Kakueki Teisha were classified into densha (電車). Generally speaking, both ressha (列車) and densha (電車) mean "train", but to be specific, densha means "electric train" for short-distance services with many stops. In other words, densha is just one form of ressha. Other types of ressha include, for example, diesel trains, limited express trains and freight trains. Thus, Futsu has been classified into a different category to rapid or Kakueki Teisha.

Historically, ressha usually meant coach trains hauled by locomotives. Most such trains were hauled by steam locomotives before the Second World War, which were heavy with poor acceleration and braking, and thus unsuited for services in urban areas which require frequent acceleration and deacceleration. Electric multiple units (densha), which were lighter and had far better acceleration and swift braking, became common in Tokyo by the 1930s, but they were costly and not reliable enough for long-distance services. Hence, electric trains were mostly used for short-distance services (i.e. commuter railways) with many stops, while loco-hauled trains were used for middle to long-distance services with fewer stops.

Japanese National Railways introduced electric multiple units to long-distance services in the early-1950s and gradually replaced locomotives and coaches, but the distinction of ressha and densha remained unchanged. It is also worth noting that long-distance Futsu services remained until the 1980s. For example, there were a few local (Futsu) services running between Ueno and Sendai via Mito until 1982.

Even after the privatisation of JNR, the remnant of the old days existed for nearly 20 years. This is why there were Futsu local services with fewer stops than rapid or even special rapid services on Chuo and Joban Lines. This is a good example of how historical legacies affected Japanese railways, though they have mostly disappeared today.

The unprecedented disruption on Yamagata Shinkansen

Yamagata Shinkansen has been operating with significantly reduced services for nearly a month due to train faults. The line has been severely disrupted in summer, and it may have a huge negative impact on local economy.

On 17th June, Tohoku Shinkansen was closed for 5.5 hours due to broken down trains. Initially, it was reported that the newest unit of E8 series came to a halt because of fatal technical failure whilst testing, but according to Nikkei, three more units suffered from similar failure on the same day. According to JR East, a power system on each units that converts power for other devices broke down so that a cooling system stopped, and thus the trains could not reactivate. It was later found that the power system was severely damaged or even partly melted. The cause of the troubles remains unknown.

The E8 series entered into service in March 2024, and eleven seven-carriage units have been introduced as of today. Five of them have been taken out of service and are under investigation. JR East timidly reinstated other units to passenger services, but the company has decided to use the units always with 10-car E5 series trains. They are used only for a handful Yamabiko services between Tokyo and Sendai. In other words, the company has not used the E8 series units independently since then.

As a result, there has been a severe shortage of trains. JR East has been using E3 series trains alongside the E8 series, but the E8 series trains have been unable to engage in passenger services between Fukushima and Shinjo, so all Yamagata Shinkansen services are provided by old E3 series trains. However, the number of the E3 series is not sufficient, as the old trains have been gradually replaced with the E8 series. Hence, Nikkei estimated that the daily capacity would decrease by up to 40%.

JR East had no choice but to cancel almost of all direct services between Tokyo and Yamagata or Shinjo. According to the temporary timetables, E3 series trains run between Fukushima and Shinjo, and all passengers to and from Tokyo or Omiya are required to change trains at Fukushima station. As trains have to wait for the transfer, there have been minor delays on some services.

JR East and manufacturers are struggling to figure out the cause. Hence, JR East announced on Wednesday that the service reduction will continue until at least the end of July. Amidst concerns over local economy, Asahi Shimbun reported that the Governor of Yamagata Prefecture urged JR East to carry out all the necessary investigations and resume the services as soon as possible. In response to her request, JR East decided to provide three direct trains to and from Tokyo from Saturday 19th July using the E3 series, but there will be even fewer services between Fukushima and Shinjo due to lack of available trains. At present, it is highly uncertain if all E8 series will be reinstated before Obon holidays in mid-August, one of the busiest seasons in Japan.

Tokyo station, where two prime ministers were assassinated

Tokyo station is arguably the most famous railway hub in Japan, and is effectively the central station of the capital. The iconic red brick building on the west side, known as Marunouchi Side, was built in 1914. While largely destroyed during the Bombing of Tokyo in 1945, the building was reconstructed two years later, and it was restored to the original style in 2012. Today, it is one of just two active railway stations registered as the Important Cultural Property by the Government.

Tokyo station is generally seen as a symbol of the country's positive aspects, such as westernisation, modernisation and prosperity as well as resilience after the Second World War, but it also represents negative historical memories that are often overlooked. This is the place where two incumbent prime ministers were killed.

On 4th November 1921, Takashi Hara was stabbed to death by an 18-year-old pointsman of the Railway Ministry. There is a small plate on the wall, just next to a ticket machine at "Marunouchi South Entrance/Exit", with a tiny hexagon mark next to a small square pattern on the floor, showing the precise position of the incident.

Takashi Hara was the first commoner to become prime minister in Japanese history. He took office in 1918, and it was the first time in history that a member of the House of Representatives became the prime minister. This is why his premiership is sometimes called the dawn of democracy in Japan. It is also worth noting that he was the only Christian prime minister before the Second World War.

During his premiership, he engaged in improving higher education, including establishment or reorganisation of many private universities (e.g. Waseda, Keio and Doshisha) as well as new "higher schools" (different to high schools of today). However, inflation after the First World War remained stubbornly high, and the cost of living crisis led to criticisms of prioritising business leaders rather than citizens, which are said to have triggered the assassination.

The inscription reads:

On 4th November 1921 at 7:20 pm, Prime Minister Takashi Hara was walking towards a ticket gate at Marunouchi South Entrance to visit Kyoto, where a party conference of Seiyukai's Kyoto branch would be held. Then, a young man ran out and grazed a shoulder of Yoshikazu Takahashi (the first stationmaster) and suddenly stabbed Hara in his right chest with a six-inch dagger. Hara collapsed on the spot and received first aid treatment at the stationmaster's office, but he was already dead. The assailant stated that he committed the murder because he was dissatisfied with Hara and his cabinet's high-handed policies, but the true background of the incident remained unclear.

It was the very first assassination of a sitting prime minister in Japan. The assailant was sentenced to life imprisonment but pardoned in 1934. Since his imprisonment was disproportionately short, there have been rumours or even conspiracy theories about possible connection between him and other ultra right-wing activists, but it has not been verified. He died in 1980 at the age of 77.

Another prime minister was killed in less than ten years. On 14th November 1930, Osachi Hamaguchi was shot by a 21-year-old right-wing activist at the station, and died in the following year. There is another plate on the wall and a tile on the floor near a lift to platforms 9 and 10 at the central concourse, though the square symbol does not represent the actual position of the incident (he was actually shot at the platform above).

Osachi Hamaguchi became prime minister in 1929 and known for being dovish and an internationalist both diplomatically and economically. He also pursued austerity and reduction of armament that infuriated many Japanese. The public rage at him peaked when he ratified the Treaty for the Limitation and Reduction of Naval Armament (also known as the London Naval Treaty), which Hamaguchi believed helpful for both budget cut and maintaining good relationship with the United Kingdom and the United States. He was accused by opposition parties and the military of violating Article 11 of the constitution, which prescribed that "The Emperor has the supreme command of the Army and Navy", while he and ministers believed that approval of the Diet and the Privy Council would suffice.

The inscription reads:

On 14th November 1930 at 8:58 am, Prime Minister Osachi Hamaguchi was walking down the platform to the first-class coach of the Limited Express "Tsubame" that would depart at 9 am, en route to Okayama Prefecture to observe a special army manoeuvre. Then, a gunshot rang out, and Hamaguchi collapsed, clutching his abdomen. He received first aid by doctors, and underwent surgery at the Tokyo Imperial University Hospital. His condition initially seemed to improve, but died on 26th August in the following year. It is said that the assailant committed the attack as he opposed Hamaguchi's government, led by Constitutional Democratic Party, which resisted pressure from the military during the ratification of the London Treaty.

After the assassination of Hara, the authorities decided to temporarily close part of a station when a prime minister was about to board or alight from a train, but Hamaguchi asked the security personnel to lift the restriction as he did not want to inconvenience other citizens. It ended up with the tragedy.

This incident had a significant impact on the Japanese politics. This case and the assassination of Tsuyoshi Inukai, another sitting prime minister killed in 1932, were decisive for the premature democracy in the country, consequently replaced with militarism.

These memorials are very subtle and not noticeable, presumably because they are not something the Japanese people or JR East are proud of. Even so, these marks silently remind us of significant moments in history. As the world is deeply divided with disinformation and agitation, they also remind us that the true value of these monuments should never be underestimated.

The Red List of Trains in Japan (Jun-2025 update)

The Red List of Trains in Japan is now up to date! No new article this time, but many existing articles have got the latest figures. Important changes include:

• Rolled back the status of JR East 255 series from EXTINCT to CRITICALLY ENDANGERED, as the company decided to retain one for a while despite its farewell tour being conducted last year
• Changed the status of Isumi Railway 300 and 350 series as the line itself has been "temporarily" closed for years

I stumbled across a master's dissertation from Spain that cited my website. While I am honoured to be seen as such a credible source, I feel a little bit awkward about it. The site was never intended to be academic, so why their supervisor approved the use of an anonymous hobby website?

— Hiroshi Deng Luma (He/him) (@networker-365.bsky.social) June 7, 2025 at 2:33 PM

I also recently discovered that my website has been used for academic purposes. While I am truly grateful for it, I would like to emphasise that this website is just a personal, unofficial one. I always endeavour to provide accurate and up-to-date information as much as possible, but you should always consider very carefully before you cite anything on my website and this blog.

Shinkansen, the confusing fare schemes

In Japan, bullet train passengers generally have to purchase two tickets, a standard fare ticket and a limited express fare ticket (Shinkansen fare ticket). However, the standard fare ticket is not necessarily based on an actual route, and most passengers are paying more than they are supposed to be. This article focuses on the hidden rules that not many people know.

Passengers going from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka by Shinkansen always have two tickets mentioned above that cover Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. Generally speaking, fares for those tickets are calculated based on distance between two stations. However, they are not in case of Shinkansen tickets, and passengers often pay more than they should, in addition to the expensive Shinkansen fare ticket.

To put it simply, standard fares for Shinkansen are based on those of a "conventional line" (non-high-speed railway) parallel to each other. For example, even when they use Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka, the standard fare is based on the distance between these two stations via Tokaido Main Line. Shinkansen tracks are generally shorter than conventional lines, but JR companies have been charging passengers based on longer distances. For example, a table below shows the technical and actual distance between major stations.

	Actual	Calculated as
Tokyo - Shin-Osaka	515.4 km	562.6 km
Shin-Osaka - Hakata	553.7 km	622.3 km
Tokyo - Sendai	325.4 km	351.8 km
Tokyo - Niigata	300.8 km	333.9 km

Another table below shows how fares have gone up based on the figures mentioned above.

	Fair fare	Actual fare
Tokyo - Shin-Osaka	8,360 yen	8,910 yen
Shin-Osaka - Hakata	8,910 yen	9,790 yen
Tokyo - Sendai	5,510 yen	5,730 yen
Tokyo - Niigata	5,180 yen	5,510 yen

As the tables show, the differences are not small, enough to buy a bottle of water or even a small bento for lunch.

This rule dates back to 1964, when Tokaido Shinkansen opened but Japanese National Railways did not add any change to the standard fare scheme. JNR insisted that Tokaido Shinkansen was constructed as second Tokaido Main Line, so the same fares should be applied. In 1975, a passenger, who found that the actual distance between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka via Tokaido Shinkansen was shorter than that via Tokaido Main Line, demanded a partial refund from JNR and sued it (though it was dismissed unanimously by the Supreme Court in 1986).

This rule, which is now written in Article 16-2 Paragraph 1 of the Rules for Passenger Services, is not always disadvantageous for passengers. For example, the ticket above is from Tsuyama to Yokohama via San-yo and Tokaido Main Line (conventional lines), but there are Shinkansen stamps. In this case, I could choose whether to take a Shinkansen from Okayama to Shin-Yokohama, or to take an ordinary train from Okayama to Yokohama. I could also freely switch from Shinkansen to conventional lines and vice versa at stations in between.

According to the rules, a person with a ticket from Tokyo or Nagoya to Osaka can either take Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka directly or alight the train at Kyoto for sightseeing and continue on to Osaka after that.

JNR applied the same rules to San-yo, Joetsu and Tohoku Shinkansen when they opened in 1972 (extended to Hakata in 1975) and 1982, respectively. Hence, San-yo Shinkansen was treated as the same as San-yo Main Line (and Kagoshima Main Line in Fukuoka Prefecture), Tohoku Shinkansen was effectively the same as Tohoku Main Line and Joetsu Shinkansen was treated as Joetsu Line.

The privatization of JNR made the rules questionable, especially when it comes to Tokaido and San-yo Shinkansen. Unlike others, conventional lines parallel to those two Shinkansen are operated by different JR companies as shown below. Osaka and Shimonoseki also correspond to Shin-Osaka and Shin-Shimonoseki, respectively.

	Shinkansen	Conventional
Tokyo - Atami	JR Central	JR East
Atami - Maibara		JR Central
Maibara - (Osaka)		JR West
(Osaka) - (Shimonoseki)	JR West
(Shimonoseki) - (Hakata)		JR Kyushu

When the high-speed rail and conventional lines nearby are owned and managed by different companies, how could those railways be regarded as the same?

JR Kyushu suggested a possible solution. In 1996, JR Kyushu withdrew from the scheme and has set its own fares between Shimonoseki and Hakata. Hence, a passenger with a standard fare ticket that covers Shimonoseki (or Shin-Shimonoseki), Kokura or Hakata has to decide which route to take. Since then, conventional lines there are more expensive than San-yo Shinkansen when it comes to a standard fare ticket. For example, a standard fare ticket between Kokura and Hakata is 1,170 yen for San-yo Shinkansen, but 1,510 yen for Kagoshima Main Line. Even with a limited express ticket, the total cost is 2,160 yen for Shinkansen (taking 17 minutes), while it is 2,110 yen for Limited Express on the conventional line (taking 49 minutes), so JR Kyushu has been struggling to attract passengers between the two cities (most people would prefer Shinkansen, as it is more frequent and far faster than JR Kyushu with just an extra of 50 yen).

JR East is soon to follow JR Kyushu as part of its plan to dramatically raise fares, as described in the previous article. The change will solve the confusing fare schemes and make it easy to understand for Shinkansen travellers, though it is not clear whether it will be beneficial for passengers.

JR fare schemes change in 2026

JR East has published three documents last year regarding fare increase and changes in fare schemes. On 2 December, six JR companies including JR East announced that they will discontinue the sale of return (round-trip) tickets in March 2026, which will be a huge blow to long-distance travellers. Four days later, JR East announced a fare increase of 7.1% on average in March 2026 with a lengthy 49-page document. On 10 December, JR East also announced the major upgrade of Suica services called "Suica Renaissance" which this blog article does NOT refer to.

The demise of return tickets

A return ticket is, as the name suggests, a pair of two tickets between two stations. The price is generally twice the single fare, and the entire trip is valid for twice the duration of a single ticket. JR East and other JRs across the country insist that Suica and relevant cards have been widely used and many passengers prefer booking online so that they have decided to terminate the sale of return tickets, claims that are highly dubious.

Most people might think that purchasing a return ticket and buying two single tickets are the same, but there are a few differences. First, if a journey is longer than 601 km, there is a 10% discount ("往復割引", often abbreviated as "復割") for a return ticket. For example, the single fare for a 601 km journey is 9,790 yen, so purchasing two single tickets costs 19,580 yen. However, when the return discount is applied, the price is down to 17,620 yen. The discount is even greater for longer journeys, which travellers have long benefitted from. When the return ticket is discontinued, the discount will also be abolished.

Secondly, a return ticket can be refunded easily in case of major disruptions caused by natural disasters, while it could be difficult for single tickets. What if, for example, one plans to travel from Tokyo to Osaka and go back on the next day, and a train is cancelled on the first day due to a typhoon? In case of a return ticket, they can ask for a full refund even if the train services resume on the second day. However, when it comes to two single tickets, they can only get a full refund for the first ticket, while the second ticket is not eligible for it. Buying tickets separately (purchasing each ticket just before getting on a train) would work well, but given that JR companies urge people to purchase tickets in advance, and ticket offices are always extremely crowded, it is not a sensible idea.

Thirdly, it will be difficult to apply other discounts, such as student discount (20% discount on standard fare tickets, often abbreviated as "学割") or Zipangu Club discount (20-30% discount on both standard fare tickets and limited express tickets, eligible for elderly people). These discounts require a special application form, but it is not unlimited. For example, universities usually issue up to 10-20 forms per year. Students submit one for a return ticket, but after March 2026, they will have to use two forms for a trip.

Scheme changes behind the fare increase

There are a few changes of fare schemes that are not necessarily well-known. First, two fare schemes in Tokyo, namely "電車特定区間 (lit. specific train zone)" and "東京山手線内(lit. Yamanote Line zone)", will be abolished. They were introduced by Japanese National Railways in 1984, cheaper than fares of other "main lines (幹線)" as there has been competition with private railways. After March 2026, commuter lines in Greater Tokyo, Chiba, Ibaraki, Kanagawa and Saitama Prefectures will be classified as "main lines", resulting in a significant fare increase of up to 16.4%.

Furthermore, most of special fares for specific sections, which have been applied for highly competitive routes, will also be abolished. Some commuters might consider shifting from JR East to its rivals. For example, the table below shows the comparison between JR and Tokyo Metro.

	JR East   before Mar 2026	JR East   (after Mar 2026)	Tokyo Metro
Tokyo - Shinjuku	210 yen (15 mins)	260 yen (15 mins)	210 yen (18 mins)
Shibuya - Ueno	210 yen (32 mins)	260 yen (32 mins)	210 yen (27 mins)

The changes might not look huge, but the difference will be greater when it comes to season tickets. If Tokyo Metro keeps the fares at the present level, Marunouchi Line is likely to be affected the most and get more crowded than today, as it is parallel to Chuo and Yamanote Lines.

Another noticeable change comes to any standard fare tickets that include Tokaido Main Line between Tokyo and Atami. Tokaido Main Line and Tokaido Shinkansen are technically treated as the same line, and thus passengers are free to choose either one.

After March 2026, the basic fare for any ticket including Tokyo, Shinagawa, Yokohama (or Shin-Yokohama), Odawara or Atami stations have to choose which route to go. While long-distance travellers are not likely to be affected, those going to or from eastern Shizuoka Prefecture or western Kanagawa Prefecture should be careful.

Furthermore, a person who misses Limited Express Sunrise Seto or Sunrise Izumo at Tokyo station and wishes to take Shinkansen and catch the night train at Shizuoka station, will have to purchase another standard fare ticket. A stark reminder of the importance of giving oneself extra time (though this is applicable to very few people).

The Red List of Trains in Japan (Apr-2025 update)

The Red List of Trains in Japan has been updated with four new articles, namely:

• JR Hokkaido 737 series
• JR Hokkaido H100 series
• JR Kyushu KiHa 72 series
• JR Kyushu 2R series

Other articles are up to date as usual. You may find quite a few changes as annual timetable revision took place last month. Furthermore, I also added a few new photos to some articles. I hope they are useful!

The unsuccessful "new" trains on Nambu Line

Nambu Line is one of the most overcrowded railways in the Greater Tokyo Area, but its branch lines are not well known. So-called Hama-Kawasaki branch line is a commuter rail line between Shitte and Hama-Kawasaki, which is just 4.1 km (2.5 miles) long with five stations in total. The line is in an industrial area so that there are many passengers during rush hours but very few at off-peak times.

The branch line has been served by two-carriage trains, which look like a rural railway. In 2023, JR East introduced "new trains" called E127 series, which were in fact reallocated from Niigata Prefecture. However, they were mostly inactive in 2024 due to "unreliablity" that the company refuses to explain in detail, and thus 35-year-old 205 series trains were reinstated.

At the end of 2024, a trade union referred to the reason why the E127 series trains were temporarily removed from service. The document suggests that train drivers filed a complaint about insufficient air-conditioning especially in a cab. It might have been less of an issue when the E127 series trains were running in Niigata Prefecture where people have to care more about heavy snow than scorching temperature, but it seems to have become a nightmare in Kawasaki and Yokohama cities.

The 205 series trains have remained longer than planned as stopgaps, though two out of three units were sent for scrap in mid-December 2024. This means that there is no choice but to use the E127 series in summer no matter how hot the trains are.

According to the trade union, there is currently no plan of introducing E131 series or any other newer trains to the line. Thus, the only possible solution is installing more powerful air-conditioner or fans on the E127 series trains. Otherwise, the immense heatwave will make drivers ill and thus it would end up with service reduction caused by a shortage of train crew.

JR East: platform edge doors in Tokyo

On Monday 3 March, JR East published the latest plan to install platform edge doors in Tokyo. JR East endeavors to introduce the doors to most stations of major railways in Tokyo area by around March 2032, but somehow a few major stations seem to have been omitted from the list.

The company has been installing the platform edge doors to stations of commuter railways in the Greater Tokyo Area since 2010, resulted in fewer "a person being hit by a train" cases than before. The doors cannot prevent people from committing suicide, but given that most of the cases are caused by blind people (mostly not their fault), intoxicated people (mostly their fault) or those who have concentrated too much on their phone (clearly their fault), the project have paid off.

The document published by JR East contains tables of stations where the platform edge doors will be installed by March 2029. There are two lines that most people are not familiar with, Yamanote Freight Line and Tohoku Freight Line, both of which are now commonly known as Shonan-Shinjuku Line.

It is worth noting that not just commuter railways but also suburban railways are on the list, namely Utsunomiya, Takasaki, Sobu Rapid and Yokosuka Lines as well as Shonan-Shinjuku Line. Since number of doors and their positions are different in some cases (especially when it comes to limited express services), it is not easy to install the platform edge doors to suburban railway stations, but JR East has decided to carry out the work.

Many stations of Chuo Rapid Line are also on the list, as no station on the line has platform edge doors so far. Since all commuter train units will be rearranged from 10 to 12 coaches with two Green Cars (first class coaches) by next week, there will be no obstacle to introduce the platform edge doors. Chuo Rapid Line has been notorious for having too many train disruptions caused by "a person being hit by a train" for more than 50 years, but the number of cases is expected to dramatically decline within a few years.

However, the list does not cover all busy stations in Tokyo. For example, there is no plan so far on Keiyo and Musashino Lines. Given that not even a single station thereof is on the list by 2029, it is hard to believe that the company will do so by 2032.

It might also have affected other lines, especially some Chuo Rapid Line. Kunitachi, Tachikawa, Hino, Toyoda and Hachioji stations are not on the list probably because there are up to four Musashino a day, direct services connecting Hachioji and Omiya via Chuo Rapid and Musashino Lines. Tachikawa is the third busiest station on Chuo Rapid Line so that leaving it without the platform edge doors will certainly be a setback for JR East's commitment to safety. No clarification of the issue has not been explained by the company so far.

Nakano Depot Disease

Chuo and Sobu Lines (Local) in Tokyo have been frequently disrupted by sudden drivers' illnesses for nearly four years. Several investigations have been conducted, but the cause remains unknown. In spite of safety prayers by a Shinto clergy, there is no sign of improvement. The so-called "Nakano depot disease" has had negative impacts both on passengers and train crews.

The Chuo and Sobu Lines (Local) is a commuter railway in Tokyo that consists of two lines, Chuo Main Line and Sobu Main Line. They connect Chiba and Mitaka stations, calling at all stations including small ones. They are 60.2 km (37.4 miles) long, and trains formed of ten coaches run every two minutes at peak times.

Tokyo Shimbunreported in 2024 that there have been 40 train disruptions in the past three years as drivers suddenly feeling unwell. Drivers in their 20s to 40s suffered from dizziness, anaemia, drowsiness and stomach aches, resulting in overshooting platforms or partial service suspension lasting 20 to 30 minutes. All of them had no trouble during a daily health check before getting onto a train. There are less than three such cases a year on other lines, but the Chuo and Sobu Lines (Local) apparently have had far more troubles than others.

According to Nippon Cultural Broadcasting, trade unions insisted that the issue were triggered by overworking, but JR East dismissed the claim as no such troubles had been observed on other busy lines such as Yamanote Line. The train operator conducted various investigations including air and water testing at Nakano depot, where drivers and crews gather every day, but no abnormality has been observed. The company even relied on religion, asking a Shinto clergy (kannushi) to pray for safety as well as health, but the situation remains unchanged, as Asahi Shimbun reported.

The government acknowledged the "Nakano depot disease" in response to an enquiry submitted last month by an MP. However, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has refused to intervene in the cases at the moment, insisting that JR East should take responsibilities for its employees.

The unreliability of the Chuo and Sobu Lines (Local) is certainly a matter of concern. Trade unions have urged JR East to significantly improve the tight work shifts and replace old facilities with new ones, and the company has accepted some of their demands, but the problem is yet to be solved. Unless the troubles subside, there might be calls for the government to take action. However, it is hard to imagine what measures could the authorities adopt in addition to what the train operator has already done.

2025 Timetable Changes on JR Network

Seven JR companies have published details about the timetable revision that takes place on Saturday 15 March 2025. Compared to the previous year, there are not so many changes. However, two out of five intercity trains that were labelled "Limited Express that could be discontinued" end a day before the revision. This article describes what will change within three months.

JR Hokkaido

Limited Express Taisetsu, a long-distance intercity service between Asahikawa and Abashiri, will be downgraded to Special Rapid with the same name. To attract more passengers, the company decided to make the service more affordable by rearranging the service to Special Rapid, which does not require a limited express ticket. The journey time will mostly be unchanged.

Some other limited express services will call at fewer stations than they do at present, resulting in a significant reduction of journey time. For example, Limited Express Ozora 7 from Sapporo to Kushiro will take 3 hours 54 minutes, 31 minutes shorter than the current timetable.

Five stations on rural lines will be permanently closed, namely Higashi-Nemuro and Higashi-Takikawa stations on Nemuro Main Line as well as Bakkai, Minami-Horonobe and Onoppunai stations on Soya Main Line. After the Higashi-Nemuro closure, Nemuro will be the easternmost railway station in Japan.

JR East

More E8 series bullet trains will be introduced to Yamagata Shinkansen, and E3 series will be withdrawn by March 2026. When the replacement completes, the journey time between Tokyo and Yamagata is expected to be reduced further as the E8 series can run faster than the E3 series.

All Chuo Line (Rapid) commuter trains including those run as far as Ome will be formed of 12 coaches. Green Car (first class coaches) are currently free of charge, but a special fare will be applied from 15 March. JR East considers that the new Green Cars will provide more opportunities for exhausted commuters to have a seat. Limited Express Hachioji and Ome that run during rush hours will be discontinued as the new Green Cars will suffice.

Keiyo and Tokaido Line services will be reduced due to a slight decline in demand, while more services will be available on Musashino, Nambu and Yamanote Lines as well as Nikko Line due to an increase in demand. Driver-only operation will be implemented on certain lines including Nambu Line and Joban (Local) Line.

JR Central

No major change is planned. However, it is worth noting that approximately one in two restrooms on Tokaido Shinkansen trains will be for women, up from one in four. The change will take place from this month and complete by mid-March.

While the official announcement does not refer to, 211 series, a type of suburban train now runs only in Shizuoka, is likely to retire by March 2025.

JR West

As Expo 2025 will be held in Osaka, there will be extra services for those visiting the site during the World Expo, not only commuter rails such as Osaka Loop Line but also high-speed rails.

"Ure seat" service, a seat reservation scheme that has already been adopted in Kansai region, will be expanded to Fukuchiyama (Takarazuka) and San'in Main (Sagano) Lines as well as Tokaido Main Line (Kyoto and Biwako Lines) between Osaka and Yasu.

Limited Express Mahoroba that runs between Shin-Osaka or Osaka and Nara during high seasons will run daily. According to another document by JR West, there will be decorated train units specifically for the service.

JR Shikoku

Compared to other companies, JR Shikoku has made more disappointing decisions as the ridership continues to decline while local residents and businesspeople prefer road transport. Limited Express Muroto between Tokushima and Mugi, which has been wondered by many railway enthusiasts for years why it still runs, will be discontinued at last.

In addition, Limited Express Shimanto (Takamatsu – Kochi), Tsurugisan (Tokushima - Awa-Ikeda) as well as Uzushio (Takamatsu - Tokushima) will be reduced. All Uzushio services will start from or terminate at Takamatsu, and none of them will run as far as Okayama.

There is also good news. Train services on rural lines will be evened out further, making them easier to understand. It suggests that JR Shikoku has been improving regional trains to make them convenient for students and elderly people, rather than competing with motorways by concentrating on intercity trains.

JR Kyushu

As train congestion has been getting worse as the ridership recovers after the COVID-19 pandemic, JR Kyushu has been trying their best to ease it while not introducing new trains. This is mostly achieved by removing seats on trains, which leads to passenger dissatisfaction with the regional train services, but JR Kyushu rules out the introduction of new trains anytime soon.

In other news, a new station on Nippo Main Line will open near Sengan-en, a large Japanese garden in Kagoshima city and a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has been notorious for being far from Kagoshima station. The new station will be less than five minutes on foot from the main gate of the garden.

JR Freight

JR Freight has been improving its services as rail transport is greener. The shortage of lorry drivers also leads to an increase in demand. Hence, the company has decided to provide more trains that are faster than today. For example, a train from Sapporo to Hiroshima will take 31 hours 11 minutes, 9 hours 12 minutes shorter than the current timetable. While most people are not familiar with freight trains, the timetable revision hopefully results in a positive economic consequences.

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For detail, check official press release pages as listed below.

• JR Hokkaido
• JR East
• JR Central
• JR West
• JR Shikoku
• JR Kyushu
• JR Freight