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Yomiuri Shimbun
7 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
JR East Holds Drone Operation Championship
Old & New video The Drone DX Championship, a competition for industrial drone users vying for technical mastery of drone operation in narrow spaces, was held for the first time at Takanawa Gateway City, a large complex directly connected to Takanawa Gateway Station on the JR Yamanote Line in Minato Ward, Tokyo, from June 7 to Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior PhotographerA remotely controlled drone glides over a platform modeled after JR Takanawa Gateway Station during the inter-company tournament on the second day of the station, which opened in 2020, and the surrounding area, where a town opening event was held this year, are among the largest redevelopment areas in central Tokyo and designated by East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) as 'experimental sites to create enriching lives for the next 100 years.' The championship was organized by JR East with the aim of allowing people to imagine future infrastructural management, while seeking to improve drone operation technology and safety. Many of the company's departments have introduced drones in their Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior PhotographerA drone with lights dashes inside a pipe in a space modeled after an underfloor space on the second day of the inter-department tournament between four teams from JR East was held on June 7; the inter-company tournament between eight teams from companies collaborating with JR East, such as a security firm and an electric power company, took place on June 8. The drones in the races are of the same model used to search inside a sewage pipe when a road collapsed in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture. Produced domestically, the drones measure about 20 square centimeters and are particularly useful in narrow and small Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior PhotographerA participant remotely operates drones during the inter-company tournament on the second specially prepared racecourse was a circuit of about 50 meters. Participants navigated drones remotely by hand, relying only on images sent from the drones to clear the tricky challenging sections modeled after train station facilities, such as attics, underfloor spaces and platforms, before crossing the finishing line at a real automatic ticket gate. The win was not counted unless the drone tapped the automatic ticket gate with a Suica IC travel card attached to its body. The competition was a single-elimination tournament. Each team of three took turns racing the course, with total team time as the deciding factor for the winner. If the drone's camera successfully read a two-dimensional code on the course, it was given credit for a certain amount of Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior PhotographerMembers of the KDDI Smart Drone team rejoice as they become the first champions of the inter-company tournament. The first champion of the inter-department tournament on June 7 was E-Wings, an electrical facility management department team; for the inter-company tournament on June 8, the winner was KDDI Smart Drone. 'Drones will greatly change how we conduct facility maintenance. We will continue holding this event at this station, which was constructed with a 100-year vision,' JR East President Yoichi Kise said at the award ceremony on June Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior PhotographerMembers of the E-Wings delight in becoming the first champions of the interdepartment tournament on the first day of the championship.
Newsweek
8 hours ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Japan's Iconic Bullet Trains Get a Makeover
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. New designs for a series of Japanese bullet trains have been unveiled and could be on the tracks by the end of the decade. The new E10 Shinkansen model will replace the current E2 and E5 bullet trains when they are retired in 2030, marking the first time a non-Japanese agency has designed Japan's signature mode of transport. Why It Matters The Shinkansen, meaning "bullet train" in Japanese, has forever changed transportation in Japan and in nearly two dozen countries around the world. Japan's nearly 2,000 miles of track connect major cities across three of the country's four main islands: Honshu, Kyushu, and Hokkaido. Shinkansen trains transport approximately 150 million passengers per year. Conceptual designs for the E10 Shinkansen, commissioned by East Japan Railway Company. Conceptual designs for the E10 Shinkansen, commissioned by East Japan Railway Company. Tangerine What To Know The new designs were commissioned by the East Japan Railway Company, also known as JR East, and were completed by design studio Tangerine, based in London and Seoul. The Shinkansen will operate on JR East's Tohoku route, connecting Tokyo to Aomori. Matt Round, Tangerine's chief creative officer, told Newsweek that incorporating the culture of Japan into the design was vital for the cross-continental collaboration. "There are so many different parties within the supply chain that you need to work with as a designer in order to bring your vision to life," Round said. "Those relationships are really important, and there's a team of us doing this together. We're bridging cultures, we're bridging technical expertise, and pulling the best teams together to deliver this." For the bullet train, Tangerine adopted a design philosophy called "thoughtful travel," which focused on how the train engaged with Japan's countryside and culture. One example the designers highlighted was the decision to shape the train in a way inspired by sakura flowers, the Japanese cherry blossom. The interior of new bullet train designs, for the East Japan Railway Company. The interior of new bullet train designs, for the East Japan Railway Company. Tangerine "We took inspiration from all of the scenery along the way, from the forests, the coasts, the cities, and used that kind of imagery to fuel the design," Round said. "It's a really great kind of source of inspiration to use, and it's been used many times." What People Are Saying Matt Round, Tangerine's chief creative officer, told Newsweek: "We took the spirit of thoughtfulness and used that to drive passenger preference; both the passengers at home and the passengers abroad. "We began to center all of our design around thoughtfulness, so that we could think really carefully about what we needed to do to satisfy the needs of different consumer groups and different stakeholders within the business. And we arrived at a design philosophy that we call thoughtful travel." What Happens Next The concepts are now moving into the design implementation phase. The first E10 bullet trains are expected to enter service in 2030.
SoraNews24
2 days ago
- SoraNews24
New unlimited-ride JR Japan rail pass is perfect for a laid-back trip in east and northeast Japan
Taking your time in Kanto, Tohoku, and Chubu? This might be just the pass for you. Following a huge price increase for the nationwide, Shinkansen-inclusive Japan Rail Pass and new restrictions regarding the use of the all-across-Japan Seishun 18 Ticket, many travelers are saying the bloom is off the rose for what used to be Japan's two best-loved train passes. But as good gardeners and flora fans know, flowers are seasonal things, and even as one or two types wither there's usually another beautiful unfolding ready to take place, which is something that's happening in the rail pass world as well. As of June 18, East Japan Railway Company (JR East) is offering a new East Japan Nonbiri Tabi Pass, or East Japan Laid-back Journey Pass. This three-day pass allows for unlimited rides through JR East's rail network that covers Japan's eastern Kanto and northeastern Tohoku regions, as well as parts of the Chubu region in Nagano, Shizuoka, Niigata, and Yamanashi Prefectures. ▼ A map of the usable area for the East Japan Nonbiri Tabi Pass As for the Nonbiri/Laid-back part of the name, that's because JR is billing this as a pass for people looking for an 'unhurried' style of travel, as the pass can be used for regular and rapid-class trains, but not special express or Shinkansen rides. But since this is a regional pass you won't be using it to travel all the way from one end of Japan to the other, and so with a little planning, it could save you a nice chunk of cash. The East Japan Nonbiri Tabi Pass is priced at just 9,000 yen (US$62). To put that in perspective, the one-way standard/rapid-train fare from Tokyo Station to Nikko is already 2,600 yen. It's 5,000 yen one-way to Nagano, so even if all you did was ride from Tokyo to there and back, the pass would pay for itself, and the same goes for a trip between Tokyo and Sendai (6,400 yen one-way). In its announcement for the pass, JR East put together two model itineraries, one using Tokyo as a starting point for a day trip to Ito in Shizuoka Prefecture on Day 1, then heading from Tokyo to the beautiful mountain temple town of Nikko for an overnight stay on Day 2 (via Utsunomiya, with a stopover to enjoy the town's famous gyoza, no doubt) before heading back to Tokyo on Day 3. Another option would be a longer round-trip route, going from Tokyo to Niigata on the Sea of Japan coast, spending the night there before going over to Akita in Tohoku for your second night, and then returning to Tokyo on the final day. ▼ Akita's hydrangea temple Unshoji seems like an especially great stop to make on a laid-back journey. The East Japan Nonbiri Tabi Pass is available exclusively through JR East's Ekinet online ticketing service, and can be purchased up to one month before your desired activation date. The pass can be used for any three consecutive days between July 1 and December 26, with the exception of the Obon summer holiday period between August 10 and 19. Related: Ekinet, East Japan Nonbiri Tabi Pass webpage Source: PR Times, JR East via Tokyo Shimbun Top image: Pakutaso Insert images: JR East, PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
4 days ago
- Automotive
JR East to Suspend E8 Shinkansen Trains for Time Being
News from Japan Society Jun 18, 2025 21:00 (JST) Tokyo, June 18 (Jiji Press)--East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, said Wednesday that it will suspend some services on the Tohoku and Yamagata Shinkansen train lines, following malfunctions found on E8 series Shinkansen trains. The railway operator said that it will halt individual operations of E8 trains until the cause of the trouble is identified. On Tuesday, an out-of-service E8 train became unable to accelerate while traveling northward between Utsunomiya and Nasushiobara stations in Tochigi Prefecture, leading to a service suspension between Tokyo Station and Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture for about five and a half hours. JR East said that a power supply device malfunctioned, causing the motor to stop working. The company added that three more E8 trains--two in service and one out of service--suffered issues during the service suspension. The E8 series entered service last March. Nine trains are in operation, while two are undergoing test runs. The four trains that malfunctioned were the latest version, delivered in November last year and after. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
5 days ago
- General
Tohoku Shinkansen Services Temporarily Halted for Tokyo-Sendai
News from Japan Society Guide to Japan Jun 17, 2025 17:43 (JST) Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)--Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train services were suspended between Tokyo Station and Sendai Station in northeastern Japan on Tuesday due to an inspection of a malfunctioning out-of-service train on the high-speed line. The outbound out-of-service train became unable to accelerate around 11:25 a.m. the same day while it was traveling the section between Utsunomiya and Nasushiobara stations in Tochigi Prefecture, and then stopped for inspection, according to East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, the operator of the Shinkansen line. The outbound Hayabusa No. 17 train, which was traveling after the malfunctioning train, also stopped between Utsunomiya and Nasushiobara. Its 682 passengers were transferred by 4 p.m. to an inbound train that was stopped next to it. Services between Tokyo and Sendai were resumed at 5 p.m. JR East is investigating details of the out-of-service train's failure to accelerate. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
