November 11, 2026, 8:57 a.m. (JST)
[Japan] The Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) held “CEATEC 2026” from October 13 to 16, 2026, at Makuhari Messe in Mihama Ward, Chiba City.At the JR East booth, a hands-on demonstration of walk-through ticket gates utilizing UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) technology was held.
“Going Beyond the Norm of Suica.”
Everyday devices are evolving!
Based on its medium- to long-term business growth strategies “Beyond the Border” and “Suica Renaissance,” JR East is working to evolve Suica from a “device for transportation and Micropayments” into a “device for daily life” that supports all aspects of daily living. For example, the company has enabled payments exceeding Suica’s 20,000-yen limit through the QR Code Payment service “teppay.”Additionally, the company plans to integrate the Suica service areas in the Greater Tokyo Area (including Nagano), Sendai, Niigata, Morioka, Aomori, and Akita around spring 2027. Furthermore, the company plans to introduce discounted subscription products that go beyond the traditional concept of commuter passes, as well as expand MaaS integration and smartphone commuter pass options rooted in each region.
The company aims to implement “walk-through ticket gates”—which allow passengers to pass through without touching a reader—by centralizing server operations, as well as ticket gates that utilize location data at stations without physical gates.On November 10, as part of the sixth phase of “Suica Renaissance,” the company announced that it will begin full-scale implementation of walk-through ticket gates starting in the spring of 2028.
You can keep
your smartphone in your bag or pocket—no problem! Trial implementation begins April 10, 2027
Event attendees were handed UWB-equipped smartphones to try out the system firsthand. The walk-through ticket gates utilize UWB, which enables high-precision positioning, to detect the radio waves from a pedestrian’s smartphone and process ticket validation. The flap gate opens the moment the smartphone passes through the ticket gate lane.
Users can pass through the gates smoothly without having to touch anything. Additionally, the distance to the gate is displayed on the smartphone screen. In fact, it is possible to pass through the gates even with the smartphone in your pocket. Going forward, the company will explore ticket gates that support both smartphone recognition and touch-based authentication.
Prior to the full-scale rollout in the spring of 2028, a trial implementation of the walk-through ticket gates will be conducted from April 10, 2027, to February 29, 2028.The trial will begin with use within commuter pass zones, and subsequently, based on the results of the trial, the scope—including usage scenarios and eligible users—will be expanded in stages. It is scheduled to take place at five stations in the Greater Shinagawa area (Hamamatsucho Station, Tamachi Station, Takanawa Gateway Station, Shinagawa Station, and Oimachi Station),and nine major terminal stations in the Greater Tokyo Area (Tokyo Station, Ueno Station, Shinjuku Station, Shibuya Station, Ikebukuro Station, Akabane Station, Kita-Senju Station, Nakano Station, and Osaki Station).
Starting with the full-scale introduction of walk-through ticket gates in the spring of 2028, the system will be expanded to conventional-line and Shinkansen stations throughout the Greater Tokyo Area and regional areas, with the goal of implementing it at all stations currently equipped with ticket gates by the end of fiscal year 2031.Furthermore, by the mid-2030s, the company plans to introduce “smartphone ticket gates” (tentative name), which utilize GPS location technology, to create a seamless travel experience—blurring the distinction between inside and outside the station—at all JR East stations.
Furthermore, UWB is a technology expected to be utilized in various fields beyond access control for public transportation, including digital devices, tracking the locations of people and objects, payments, and indoor positioning.
JR West Japan presented initiatives by local governments to provide transportation subsidies and promote usage through the “ICOCA” transportation IC card and WESTER Points.For example, Ryuo Town in Shiga Prefecture was the first municipality in Japan to introduce a system linking My Number Cards with ICOCA, implementing advanced transportation subsidies and initiatives to promote public transit use among young people.Additionally, in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, the city is running a program that rewards users with points based on their usage when they use pre-registered ICOCA cards at JR West and Sanyo Electric Railway stations within the city.
Furthermore, the company entered into a capital and business alliance with the Resona Group in May 2026 and is advancing initiatives in BaaS (Banking as a Service) and digital financial services.Through a partnership with Resona and Kansai Mirai Bank, JR West will enter the financial services sector to build a regional value-circulating BaaS and payment model that integrates “mobility, daily life, and finance.”The Osaifu WESTER Project is a BaaS and payment integration project promoted by JR West and the Resona Group that integrates finance with mobility and daily life.
