Country for PR: Japan
Contributor: Kyodo News JBN
Wednesday, February 26 2020 - 17:00
AsiaNet
East Japan Railway Co. to Open JAPAN RAIL CAFE at Tokyo Station as Site Where Foreign Visitors Interact with One Another
TOKYO, Feb. 28, 2020 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/--

East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) will open "JAPAN RAIL CAFE" at Tokyo Station 
on March 5, 2020, as a site where visitors from overseas can interact with one 
another and gather seasonal travel information on Japan.

JAPAN RAIL CAFE will help visitors share the seasonal charms of Japan as ways 
of enjoying trips are being increasingly diversified. To that end, the cafe 
will provide inbound tourists with up-to-date information "only now" and "for 
yourselves only" on various areas of Japan, which cannot be obtained from 
guidebooks or online, as well as travel support in one-stop service.

Concept 
"Talk about trips, meet new friends"
JAPAN RAIL CAFE will help foreign travelers interact with one another and talk 
about areas they should visit now as well as the charms of their hometowns, 
thereby exchanging hints about trips in Japan. The cafe will be a hub for trips 
in Japan where visitors inspire one another about their trips and meet other 
travelers.

Support for inbound tourists
JR East will establish a tourism information and travel consultation counter at 
JAPAN RAIL CAFE to propose specific travel plans in Japan in conjunction with 
tourism promotion campaigns underway in various parts of the country. Visitors 
can exchange their vouchers for Japan Rail Pass and other specially planned 
tickets for visitors from overseas as well as selling JR tickets and "Welcome 
Suica" IC cards for inbound tourists.

Sales of food, drinks, etc.
Also, on sale at the cafe will be seasonal Japanese food and drinks, "ekiben" 
box lunches, and special food products made exclusively for the cafe under the 
supervision of Japanese tea producer-dealer "Senchado Tokyo." Moreover, the 
cafe will advise visitors on how to enjoy Japanese tea during each meal.

The cafe will strive to help visitors enjoy Japan's cuisine culture, share 
their experiences with other travelers, and learn about food cultures in 
various regions through their communication with staffers.

Provision of travel information using large screen
A large 140-inch screen will be installed to allow visitors to have virtual 
experiences of travel in Japan in conjunction with tourism promotion campaigns 
underway in various parts of Japan. Visitors can also use digital signage 
content "Wall SHOP," which utilizes the fruits of internet research by the 
Rakuten group, to enjoy searching for travel information. Therefore, visitors 
to JAPAN RAIL CAFE can enjoy virtual trips they cannot experience elsewhere.

Furthermore, various video programs from "japan-guide.com" will be shown to 
provide visitors with up-to-date information on various travel destinations in 
Japan, which changes from season to season, through exciting footage, thereby 
giving them tips about where they should visit now.

For more details, visit the JAPAN RAIL CAFE website:
https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/japanrailcafe/tokyo/

Source: East Japan Railway Company