travel

Free Wi-Fi now available on Tohoku shinkansen, inside Tokyo’s Yamanote line stations

3 Comments
By Casey Baseel, RocketNews24

Although it’s taken some time to catch on, the number of places offering free Wi-Fi in Japan has been steadily increasing over the last few years, and is now available on the Tohoku shinkansen and all of the stations on Tokyo’s Yamanote train line.

This new push for easier access to the Internet is a result of contact with the rest of the world. At the same time as Japan is receiving more visitors from overseas, tourists are increasingly relying on online guides and networking to navigate the country and coordinate with their travel companions.

To help them do so, on May 1, Japan Railways began offering free Wi-Fi onboard E5 Type 1 trains on the Tohoku shinkansen line, which connects Tokyo with northern Aomori Prefecture. By the end of June, the service will be expanded to include E5 Type 3 trains as well.

Even if your travel plans don’t include a jaunt off to the Tohoku region, JR is also offering free Wi-Fi in a number of new places in Tokyo, too. Complimentary Wi-Fi is now offered in all stations along the Yamanote line that circles downtown Tokyo, as well as 11 other JR East stations and five JR East Travel Service Centers.

To make use of the service, simply register your email address and select the JR-EAST FREE Wi-Fi SSID. Each sign-in gets you three hour of free access, with no limit on how many times you can sign in per day.

While the impetus for starting the service was to provide a more pleasant experience for foreign tourists, residents of Japan can make use of it as well. So whether you live in the country or you’re just visiting, JR is ready to help you stay connected to all of the vital sources of online information you need.

Source: JR East press release

Read more stories form RocketNews24. -- Beware the Dangers of Free Wi-Fi -- About time! Osaka embraces free city-wide Wi-Fi -- Tokyo adding free Wi-Fi to 143 subway stations for foreign travelers

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3 Comments
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I am so glad I do not have or need a phone any more. I am free as a bird. It feels great.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

To make use of the service, simply register your email address and select the JR-EAST FREE Wi-Fi SSID. Each sign-in gets you three hour of free access, with no limit on how many times you can sign in per day.

In otherwords, it's not free at all.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

In otherwords, it's not free at all.

you aren't paying. meaning it's free.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

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