East Japan Railway Co. to Open JAPAN RAIL CAFE at Tokyo Station as Site Where Foreign Visitors Interact with One Another

TOKYO, Feb. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 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/