Comfortable Cities
Turning Suica into a Lifestyle Device that Enriches People’s Lives
Our Medium- to Long-term Business Growth Strategy, Beyond the Border, calls for the transformation of Suica, the point of contact between customers and the Group, from a device for mobility into a device for lifestyle that enriches people’s lives.
JR East is incorporating advances in communications and cloud technologies to convert its Suica ticket gate system to a central server system, and is considering ways to leverage the benefits of this system to create new Suica experience value. We will realize new Suica services that are difficult to achieve with the current system of embedding ticket information onto an IC chip. An example of such a service includes receiving a return ticket if you spend a certain amount or more at a station building that you can use immediately by tapping your Suica card at the gate.
In FY2029.3, we will release the Suica app (tentative name), which will allow customers to use a variety of services tailored to their lifestyles all in one place.
Deliver Seamless, Stress-Free Mobility
The JR East app provides a variety of information to help customers travel by train without stress, including train times, locations, delays,congestion, and station maps.
In the development of this app, we adopted three methods to provide value that meets customer needs in a timely manner. These three methods are: (1) a method to accumulate small amounts of value without waste; (2) a user-focused design that designs products while understanding customers; and (3) a software development method that ensures quality and quickly provides value to the world.
We will also use the above methods and approaches in developing the Suica app (tentative name), aiming to create services that will be highly commended by customers.
Development Details of the JR East App
Improving CX for Digital Services (JRE ID)
Each of the Group’s online services has been uniquely developed
with the aim of improving the convenience of real-world services.
However, in order to build broad, long-term relationships with
customers, we need to shorten the gap between services and make
user experiences seamless. As a first step, we began integrating IDs
for online services in February 2025.
Introduction of JRE ID
The name of the integrated ID is “JRE ID.” For services that have introduced JRE ID, customers will need to create a JRE ID when they register, and then they will be able to use the next service without having to create a new ID.
In addition, services that use JRE ID will share customer information and provide new services through
collaboration between the various services. For example, based on reservation information from ekinet,the JR East app will provide transfer instructions and transfer station information tailored to said reservation.
Urban Development That Considers the Environment, Disaster Prevention, and Communities
Starting with urban development in the Greater Shinagawa Area, we will establish a revenue base for the Group while also contributing to local communities, based on the concept of creating diversely appealing towns with consideration for the environment, disaster prevention, and communities. Toward the realization of sustainable cities, we will promote initiatives that contribute to carbon neutrality, resource recycling, and biodiversity. We will also work to create connections with local communities and implement smart cities that utilize data and cutting-edge technology.
Town Management in TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY
We established TAKANAWA GATEWAY AREA MANAGEMENT with the aim of promoting town management in Takanawa Gateway City.
We are working with local communities to grow hops, an ingredient in beer, and through our TAKANAWA HOP WAY community activity, which promotes interaction and collaboration through greenery, as well as initiatives that utilize stations and open spaces, we are working to create a lively town and further enhance its appeal and value.
Community-based Urban Development at TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY
There are many green spaces within the development area of TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY. By creating a place where everyone can participate and interact through initiatives to cultivate greenery, we aim to build stronger relationships with local citizens and realize community participation-based urban development that people care about. In FY2022.3, we began a community activity called TAKANAWA HOP WAY to grow hops alongside citizens, businesses, and schools in the development area and surrounding areas.
The community activity initially started with nine locations, but thanks to the hard work of the people in charge and word of mouth from the participants, it has now expanded to 24 locations,with 43 individual participants. We are expanding connections by increasing our cultivation sites not only on the Takanawa side around TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, but also on the Konan side across the train tracks.
In addition, the harvested hops are used to brew beer at a brewery in Tokyo about twice a year under the name TAKANAWA HOP WAY, and about 1,000 bottles are sold at events each year.
The beer labels are designed by students who participate in the community, and community members also participate in the brewing process. We also make soft drinks using hops so that people who do not like alcohol and children can partake as well.
Hops are often associated with adults, as they are an ingredient in beer, but this initiative also allows children to participate, such as by making hop-scented soap with elementary and junior high school students and making wreaths using hop vines. Hops were chosen because they can be processed into a variety of things,and through these initiatives, we can form a community that transcends age.
We have had students who participated in TAKANAWA HOP WAY say they would like to continue participating even after graduating, as well as students who participated in the community go on to work for JR East. This initiative helps promising students develop love and care for Takanawa. In the future, I hope this initiative will help develop local leaders in the town.
