Hearing on JR East Fare Cap Review
Overview
The Transport Council decided to hold a public hearing in Tokyo on November 26, 2026, concerning the petition for review related to approval of a change to the passenger fare cap for East Japan Railway Company. Applications to present statements and attend as observers are now open. Details on the hearing schedule and media coverage procedures will be announced again in early November.
Key points
- A public hearing will be held in Tokyo on November 26, 2026.
- Applications to present statements and attend as observers are now open.
- The hearing will allow general speakers to express their views before the matter is decided.
Overview
The matter concerns a petition for review related to approval of a change to the passenger fare cap for East Japan Railway Company. The Transport Council will hold a public hearing to hear a range of views from general speakers before deciding on the matter referred to it by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
The Transport Council is a standing body that receives referrals concerning the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s licensing and approvals, and issues fair and reasonable recommendations after considering views from various sectors. Deliberations are closed to the public except for public hearings. The Council plans to publish the materials distributed and a summary of the proceedings on its website after issuing its recommendation.
Details
The hearing will be held in Tokyo. The Transport Council has set the outline of the hearing schedule and opened applications to present statements and attend as observers. See Attachment 1 for details of the hearing.
The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism referred the matter to the Council on October 7, 2026, and the Council announced on October 8 of the same year that it would hold a public hearing. Article 23 of the Act for Establishment of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is cited as the legal basis for holding the hearing.
The planned proceedings for the day of the hearing and media coverage procedures will be announced again in early November 2026.
For inquiries about the deliberations, contact the Transport Council Hearing Office, Policy Bureau. For inquiries about this petition for review, contact the Passenger Transport Operations Management Office, Railway Business Division, Railway Bureau.