Major Tokyo train line to run new service aimed at tourists
The JR Yamanote Line, which passes through Tokyo’s major stations, will offer chartered tourist trains later this year.
The line operates in a loop around the center of Tokyo and passes through major areas such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Akihabara and Ueno.
Visitors on the tourist train will enjoy a guided one-hour trip around the Yamanote Line by a current conductor and station staff.
This will be the fourth time the service has run, and while all previous runs have been on the outer loop, this will be the first time it will run on the inner loop.
As JR East expect there to be high demand for this tour, the service will operate twice a day in the morning and afternoon.
In addition, they will be offering an “Adults Only” tour again which was first introduced when these tours were last run in October 2024.
They expect the new inner loop tour to attract visitors who have experienced the previous tourist trains as the scenery on the inner loop looks different to that on the outer loop.
The latest round of tours will take place on 1st March 2025 as that date marks the 140th anniversary of the opening of the Shinagawa-Akabane section of the Japanese Railway Shinagawa Line, the predecessor of the Yamanote Line. It also marks the 140th anniversary of the opening of Shibuya and Shinjuku stations.
Adult tickets for the standard tour will be priced at yen (approx. $15.99 USD / £12.98 GBP) while child tickets are yen (approx. $7.99 USD / £6.49 GBP).
Tickets for the adults only tour will be priced at 3,.000 yen (approx. $19.19 USD / £15.58 GBP)
The tour will start and end at Ikebukuro Station and two tours will run per day starting at 10am and 1.45pm. Each tour will last approximately 66 minutes.
Tickets can be purchased from the JRE MALL website with separate listings for the normal tours and the adults only tour.
Reservations can be made between 4th and 28th February 2025.
Source: East Japan Railway Company