As we all know, Tokyo has one of the best public transport systems in the world. Unfortunately, maintaining that standard requires serious moolah, and passengers will soon feel the effects. According to Japan Today, JR East announced on August 1 it will be increasing its fares starting March 2026, a move that somewhat incredibly marks the company's first price increase since its founding in 1987 (consumption tax increases notwithstanding).
The railway operator had applied for government approval to raise fees as early as last December, when Executive Vice President Chiharu Wataru announced his company must 'spend effort and money on safe railway operations'. The increases are estimated to bring in ¥88.1 billion in revenue annually – money that JR means to invest in equipment and repairs, as well as use to raise wages for staff and offset rising operational costs.
On average, fares will rise by 7.1%, with the base fare for central Tokyo's Yamanote Line increasing ¥10, from ¥150 to ¥160. As always, IC card users will have slightly lower rates compared to paper ticket holders (between ¥8 and ¥9 increase), so we recommend getting yourself one of those to save a yen or two.
If you're a bit of a stickler for paperwork, you can find the full Japanese report on the increase here.
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