By TAKASHI OGAWA/ Staff Writer
March 8, 2023 at 18:54 JST
Morning commuters at East Japan Railway Co.'s Shinagawa Station in Tokyo (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Passengers will no longer be required to wear masks on East Japan Railway Co. trains from March 13, the train operator announced.
JR East will also no longer make announcements on trains and at stations to discourage rush hour travel and conversations on trains.
JR East President Yuji Fukasawa said on March 7 that he would ensure the company’s policy change would not cause any concerns to passengers.
The move followed an earlier announcement by the government that it would leave the decision of mask-wearing up to each individual.
Given that the government still recommends that people wear face coverings on crowded trains, however, Fukasawa said his staff members may ask passengers to talk more quietly or discourage conversations on rush hour trains as a courtesy to others.
The operator’s staff members who may encounter customers will continue wearing masks.
The country’s largest railway company operates in an area that covers roughly half of the main Honshu island.
Central Japan Railway Co., which operates in Nagoya and the surrounding areas, announced it will follow suit.
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