由 jpichiban 日本铁路公司为了满足登山游客的需求，不断推出新的服务。JR东日本今年夏天重新开通了连接新宿站和白马站的夜间列车“阿尔卑斯号”，同时还新开了连接松本站和白马站的“白马号”特快列车，为登山游客提供了更多选择。京王电铁也推出了可使用信用卡支付的高尾山策划套票，包含了从京王线和井之头线的主要车站到高尾山口站的往返车费以及缆车或登山吊椅的费用，为外国游客提供了更便捷的登山体验。随着日本自然风光吸引越来越多的外国游客，这些措施将进一步促进日本登山旅游的发展。
Original Title: 夏季去日本登山，坐火车通行越来越方便
Summary: Japanese railway companies are increasing their services for mountain climbers and other tourists. JR East Japan has resumed its overnight train service between Shinjuku Station and Hakuba Station (located in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture, near the Northern Alps) for the first time in six years this summer. Keio Electric Railway has launched a new ticket package that allows travelers to use credit cards to ride trains and the cable cars to Mount Takao. These measures will not only attract Japanese tourists, but also cater to the growing demand from foreign tourists.
On the evening of July 12, at 11:58 PM, the “Alps” express train departed from JR Shinjuku Station, carrying passengers with backpacks. The train was almost full, with some foreign passengers among them. A male civil servant (43) living in Tokyo, who was heading to Mount Hoda (Nagano and Gifu Prefectures), smiled and said, “Usually, I take the first train in the morning or the overnight bus. It’s great that there’s a train option now. The train is more comfortable and livable than the bus.”
The “Alps” train will also operate on August 9, September 13, and 20, arriving at Hakuba Station at 6:22 AM the following day. A new “Hakuba” express train service between Matsumoto Station (located in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture) and Hakuba Station has also been launched. This train will operate on weekends and holidays from July to September, mainly aimed at passengers who transfer from the “Azusa” express train (connecting Shinjuku Station and Matsumoto Station).
A JR East Japan official said that these trains are “convenient for tourists who want to go hiking and trekking.” Many foreign tourists want to experience Japan’s abundant natural beauty. The manager of a mountain hut in the Northern Alps said, “There are more and more tourists from Asia, including Taiwan and South Korea.”
The mountains in the Tokyo and Koshinetsu regions are very popular among tourists. According to YAMAP (located in Fukuoka City), the operator of the mountain-climbing app “YAMAP,” the number of climbers in Nagano Prefecture during Golden Week 2024 was the highest among all prefectures in Japan, reaching approximately 20,000 people. Yamanashi Prefecture ranked second, and Tokyo ranked fourth.
Among YAMAP users, Mount Takao had the highest number of climbers in 2023, and the process of going ticketless is accelerating.
Since March, Keio Electric Railway Group has supported QR code and credit card contact-type payment methods at ticket gates. They are selling packaged tickets that include round-trip fares from major stations on the Keio Line and Inokashira Line to Takao-san Guchi Station (located in Hachioji City, Tokyo), near Mount Takao, as well as fares for riding the Mount Takao cable car or mountain lift.
In addition to purchasing tickets in advance on a dedicated website and using QR codes to ride, there is also a method of using a credit card with contact-type payment or a smartphone linked to a credit card to swipe at the ticket gate. If using a contact-type payment method, you don’t need to buy tickets in advance. The advantage is that even foreign tourists without purchasing tickets or transport IC cards can use their own credit cards to travel.
A relevant official said, “In the ‘Monkey Park and Wild Grass Garden’ on Mount Takao, foreigners sometimes account for 30% of the day’s visitors. We’ve noticed a clear increase in European and American tourists.” Keio Electric Railway intends to attract more foreign tourists to go hiking by improving convenience.
**Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei Chinese Network) Riku Tasaki**
Original article: http://cn.nikkei.com/industry/tradingretail/56319-2024-08-15-05-00-05.html?print=1