Driverless Shinkansen to Begin by Mid-2030s

TOKYO, Sep 11 (News On Japan) - JR East has announced plans to introduce driverless operations on the Joetsu Shinkansen by the mid-2030s. Since 2021, JR East has been conducting trials aimed at realizing "driverless operations" where the train operates without a driver onboard.

JR East has revealed that driverless train tests will begin in fiscal 2029 between Niigata Station and the Niigata Shinkansen Rolling Stock Center. By the mid-2030s, automated operations with a driver onboard are planned between Tokyo and Nagaoka Stations. The company then aims to fully implement driverless operations on trains between Tokyo and Niigata Stations.

Yoichi Kise, President of JR East, stated: "We will introduce the world's first driverless operation on the Joetsu Shinkansen and gradually expand this to the Hokuriku Shinkansen, followed by the Tohoku Shinkansen."

JR East aims to improve operational efficiency while enhancing the stability and safety of train services.

Source: TBS

Aoi Festival Kicks Off in Kyoto

The Aoi Festival, one of Kyoto’s three major traditional festivals, began on May 15th with a vibrant procession of around 500 people dressed in elegant Heian-period garments making their way through the streets of the ancient capital.

Japan Marks 150 Years of Meters

Japan’s prototypes of the kilogram and meter, which once served as national standards for weight and length, were presented to the press this week ahead of the 150th anniversary of the Meter Convention, the international treaty that standardized global measurement systems, to be marked on May 20th.

Bluefin Tuna Season Starts Earliest Since 1982 Due to Ocean Warming

The season’s first bluefin tuna catch landed in Sakaiminato City, Tottori Prefecture, on Wednesday morning, marking the earliest start to the summer fishing season since records began in 1982.

Japan's Teachers to Receive Higher Pay and Shorter Hours

A bill to revise the Kyūtoku Law, aiming to improve the treatment of Japan's public school teachers by gradually raising the salary supplement in place of overtime pay from 4% to 10%, was approved by the Lower House Committee on Education on Wednesday after ruling and opposition parties agreed on revisions.

Student Fights for the Right to Be Taught in Japanese Sign Language

A lawsuit over the right to education in Japanese Sign Language concluded at the Sapporo High Court on May 13th, with a junior high school girl using the language in court to state that "Japanese Sign Language is my identity."

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Travel NEWS

JR East to Launch First-Ever 60% Off Shinkansen Flash Sale

JR East has announced its first-ever time-limited discount sale offering up to 60% off Shinkansen fares, with tickets available through its online reservation platform, Ekinet.

New Tokyo Water Commute Connects Gotanda and Tennozu in 35 Minutes for 900 Yen

Tokyo's push for river-based commuting is gaining momentum with the launch of a new weekday evening ferry route connecting Gotanda and Tennozu.

Manga Sparks Earthquake Fears and Flight Cancellations from Hong Kong

Greater Bay Airlines, which resumed regular flights between Sendai and Hong Kong last December for the first time in 13 years, currently operates four round trips per week. However, starting this week and continuing through the end of October, the airline will reduce that to three weekly round trips due to declining travel demand. The number of flights to Tokushima will also be cut. What is behind this sudden downturn?