JR East will introduce new reserved seat ticket vending machines with improved screen flow for purchasing and changing tickets from July 2025, gradually replacing the old machines.
New screen well received in monitor survey
The old reserved seat ticket vending machines had many buttons on the top screen that were not uniform in type, such as “reserved seat,” “unreserved seat,” and “purchase from transfer information,” and there were quite a few complaints that it was difficult to know what to press. In the development process of the new machine, a monitor survey was conducted in advance, and the menu was changed to one for each purpose, such as “buy a ticket” and “change a ticket,” which were well received for being easy to understand at a glance. Frequently used buttons are displayed large from the second screen onwards, realizing a simple operation method that even infrequent users will not get lost in.
In fiscal 2025, about 160 new reserved seat ticket vending machines are scheduled to be introduced at about 20 stations, mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Of these, the new machines installed at the Shinkansen transfer gates such as Tokyo Station will be equipped with a new Mobile Suica compatible reader. If you board a conventional line station using Mobile Suica and purchase a Shinkansen ticket at a Shinkansen transfer station, you will no longer need to line up at the “Midori no Madoguchi” (green counters) to have your ticket processed.
Measures to minimize congestion at the counter
New machines with passport readers will be installed at Narita Airport Station, Haneda Airport Station, some major stations on the Yamanote Line, and Sendai Station from around spring 2026, and will be able to issue Japan Rail Passes and reserved seat tickets reserved online. In addition, the screens of the currently operating reserved seat ticket vending machines will be updated to use the same purpose-specific menu as the new machines from October 2025, and the button configuration and layout will be reviewed for clarity.
In addition, the refund function of reserved seat ticket vending machines will be expanded from October 2025. If the Shinkansen or limited express train you plan to board is suspended due to a typhoon or other reason, you will be able to refund your ticket by operating the reserved seat ticket vending machine yourself. In addition, the function that allows passengers to refund express fares at reserved seat ticket machines if their train is delayed by more than two hours will be expanded to include all Shinkansen lines, including Tokaido and Sanyo lines, and the types of tickets that can be purchased and the conditions for handling will be expanded, creating an environment where passengers will have to wait in lines at the green counters as much as possible.
