Transport Policy Council public hearing Nov 26 on JR East fares

The Japan Transport and Tourism Research Board has announced in Transport Council Public Notice No. 7 (dated October 9, 2026) that it will hold a public hearing starting from 10:30 AM on Thursday, November 26, 2026, regarding two requests for administrative review seeking the revocation of approvals for changes to the upper limit of passenger fares for East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The venue will be Common Meeting Room 408, 4th Floor, Central Government Building No. 4 (3-1-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), and the presiding body will be the Transport Council. This public notice is based on the provisions of Article 23 of the Act for Establishment of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Article 31, Paragraph 1 of the General Rules of the Transport Council.

The requests for review target two dispositions: one by the Minister of MLIT and one by the Director-General of the Kanto District Transport Bureau

The matters to be deliberated at the public hearing are both cases of rulings on requests for administrative review, with the applicant being Naoki Koito. The case numbers are Reiwa 8 No. 3002 and Reiwa 8 No. 3003.

• Reiwa 8 No. 3002: A request for administrative review seeking the revocation of the approval for the change in the upper limit of passenger fares (Reiwa 7 Kokutetsu-ji No. 247) granted to East Japan Railway Company by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on August 1, 2025.
• Reiwa 8 No. 3003: A request for administrative review seeking the revocation of the approval for the change in the upper limit of passenger fares (Reiwa 7 Kantetsu-kan No. 56) granted to East Japan Railway Company by the Director-General of the Kanto District Transport Bureau on September 26, 2025.

Deadline for application to give oral testimony is noon on October 29

Persons wishing to give oral testimony at the public hearing must send one copy each of the application for oral testimony and the written statement of testimony to the Transport Council Hearing Office, Policy Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Central Government Building No. 4, 3rd Floor, 3-1-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0013), ensuring they arrive no later than noon on Thursday, October 29, 2026.

• The application for oral testimony must include the case number, type of case, applicant of the case, name of the speaker (with furigana), address, occupation, age, whether they are for or against the case, an explanation of the interest if they are an interested party, and a contact telephone number.
• The written statement of testimony must specifically state the name of the speaker and the content of the testimony within 4,500 characters per person.
• Oral testimony must be delivered in accordance with the content described in the written statement.

Operation: Up to 10 speakers, maximum 15 minutes per person

For the purpose of organizing the proceedings, the number of general speakers shall be limited to 10 people. Selection will be made to ensure that opportunities for testimony are as fair as possible across various sectors and layers of society, and to avoid duplication of similar opinions. Selected individuals will be notified personally, and their names and other details are scheduled to be posted on the Transport Council website and bulletin board around early November 2026. The speaking time for one person is planned to be within 15 minutes, but this may be shortened depending on the number of general speakers, and testimony may be terminated midway if it does not fit within the allotted time.

Inspection of Related Documents and Possibility of Cancellation

The application and other related documents for this case are scheduled to be posted on the Japan Transport Council website from around early October 2026, and applications for oral statements and the statements themselves (limited to cases where a request for a general oral statement has been made) from around early November 2026.

• The public hearing may be cancelled, for example, if no requests for oral statements are received by the deadline. In such a case, notification will be provided separately.
• For any inquiries, please contact the Transport Council Hearing Office, Policy Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (03-5253-8810).

This public hearing involves the Japan Transport Council conducting a public hearing on a request for examination regarding the authorization of fare increases by JR East, a matter of high interest to users and municipalities along the railway lines. Individuals or organizations wishing to make an oral statement must apply by the deadline of noon on October 29.

Source: Japan Transport Council Public Notice No. 7 (dated October 9, 2026, published in the Official Gazette). Legal basis: Article 23 of the Act for Establishment of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and Article 31, Paragraph 1 of the General Rules of the Japan Transport Council.