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July 24, 2026
 

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JR WEST

Seiji Shimomura, 68, guides new Akashi city employees around the accident site on Tuesday morning.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 21, 2026
Akashi crowd crush victims remembered 25 years on
Bereaved relatives, local residents and others offered prayers in front of a memorial on a pedestrian overpass where the crowd crush happened July 21, 2001.
A rendering of a Supreme Class premium private compartment to be offered on Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen train cars from October
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 18, 2026
Private compartments coming in October to Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen trains
The compartments in the Supreme Class will feature reclining seats and lockable doors, and tickets for them can only be purchased online.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen line is due to be extended from Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture to Shin-Osaka Station, but the chosen route remains up for debate.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
May 7, 2026
LDP and JIP look to accelerate talks on Hokuriku Shinkansen extension route
The ruling coalition hopes to finalize the bullet train line¡¯s route by the end of the parliamentary session and start construction in fiscal 2027.
A memorial ceremony for victims of a 2005 train derailment is held in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, on Saturday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 25, 2026
Victims mourned 21 years after JR West train crash in Amagasaki
On April 25, 2005, a train entered a curved section at a speed far exceeding the limit and derailed, with the first and second cars colliding with a nearby apartment building.
A JR West shinkansen approaches Shin-Osaka station
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jan 24, 2026
Japan eyes higher leasing fees for shinkansen facilities
The transport ministry is looking to use the increased revenue for new new construction projects and renovations of aging infrastructure.
While the number of users of the unprofitable local lines is unlikely to recover amid population decline in rural Japan, people living near the lines want the railroad services to be maintained.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jan 3, 2026
JR companies and local governments to continue talks on loss-making railway lines
While the number of users of the unprofitable local lines is unlikely to recover amid population decline, people living near the lines want the railroad services to be maintained.
West Japan Railway¡¯s completed facility to preserve a train involved in the 2005 Fukuchiyama Line derailment, in the city of Suita, Osaka Prefecture
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 18, 2025
Facility to preserve crashed JR West train completed
The April 2005 crash in Hyogo Prefecture killed 106 passengers and the train¡¯s driver.
Brisk sales of "Myaku-Myaku" mascot at Osaka Expo's official stores helped raise West Japan Railway's profit.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 1, 2025
Osaka Expo boosts earnings at rail operators in western Japan
Osaka Metro and JR West are set to pay special bonuses to their employees amid a surge in passengers and expo-related business profits.
Shoji Kurasaka, president of West Japan Railway, speaks at a news conference in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, on Saturday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Nov 10, 2025
Facility to preserve crashed JR West train to be completed in December
The 2005 accident in Hyogo Prefecture left 106 passengers and the train driver dead and some 560 others injured.
The expansion of the locker-to-hotel delivery service is expected to ease congestion on public transportation.
BUSINESS
Jul 6, 2025
Locker-to-hotel luggage delivery service expanding in Japan
The service was launched at major stations in Osaka last year and operators have recorded a rapid rise in usage.
Bereaved family members observe a moment of silence on Wednesday at a memorial ceremony for a train collision that killed 42 people in the city of Koka, Shiga Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
May 14, 2025
34-year memorial held for victims of Shiga train collision
On May 14, 1991, an SKR train and a JR West train collided head-on in Shigaraki, now Koka, killing 42 people and injuring more than 600.
A message using candles is seen during a memorial event held in the city of Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, on Thursday ahead of the 20th anniversary of the 2005 Fukuchiyama Line derailment on Friday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 25, 2025
JR West marks 20 years since fatal derailment with renewed vow for safety
The 2005 Fukuchiyama Line derailment in the city of Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, claimed 107 lives and injured more than 560 others.
A train station building (front) is assembled from parts printed using 3D printer technology, in Arida, Wakayama Prefecture, on Wednesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 26, 2025
3D printer used to construct train station building in Japan
The station building in Wakayama Prefecture is the world¡¯s first to be built with 3D printer technology, West Japan Railway said.
A bullet train at Tsuruga Station on March 16 last year, the day the Hokuriku Shinkansen line was extended to Fukui
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 15, 2025
Fukui enjoys visitor boost after shinkansen extension
About 6.42 million people visited Fukui between March 16 last year and Feb. 15 this year, up by about 1 million from a year before.
A little-used section of the JR Geibi Line, which runs through the Chugoku Mountains in Okayama and Hiroshima prefectures, faces a threat of closure.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Feb 10, 2025
Underutilized Hiroshima-Okayama rail route struggles to survive
While the number of passengers has continued to decline, the Geibi Line has served as a lifeline for some residents.
The number of passengers who used express services operated by Japan Railways Group companies during the 10-day period through Sunday was 2% higher than in fiscal 2018, surpassing the level seen before the COVID-19 pandemic for the first time.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 7, 2025
Number of passengers on JR express services during New Year rose 11%, firms say
The figure for the 10-day period through Sunday surpassed the level seen before the COVID-19 pandemic for the first time.
A train in Nimi, Okayama Prefecture, on West Japan Railway's Geibi Line in September 2023. The line is among those that have seen rail tracks warped by this summer's extreme heat.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Boiling Point
Aug 15, 2024
Japan¡¯s searing summer heat is warping railway tracks more often
West Japan Railway, Kyushu Railway and Shikoku Railway have all been affected.
A 500 series bullet train on the Sanyo Shinkansen line with the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series decoration. The aging 500 series will retire in 2027.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 25, 2024
JR West to retire 500 series Shinkansen in 2027
JR West plans to introduce new N700S Shinkansen trains after the 500 series¡¯ retirement.
A humanoid robot to be used by West Japan Railway for maintenance operations
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 5, 2024
Japan deploys humanoid robot for railway maintenance
The machine can use various attachments for its arms to carry objects, hold a brush to paint or use a chainsaw.
People observe a moment of silence for the victims of a JR Fukuchiyama Line train crash in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, Thursday morning on the 19th anniversary of the accident.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 25, 2024
Victims of JR West train crash mourned 19 years on
The president of JR West and other officials observed a moment of silence at 9:18 a.m., the time of the crash, which killed 106 passengers.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
Intervention is the word after yen moves beyond ?163 and sits there
The government could prop up the yen at any moment, though its signaling is hard to read.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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