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SINGAPORE- 23 Jun 2016, East Japan Railway Company (JR EAST) announces that it will open its first Japan-bound tourism theme cafe in the world outside Japan in coming November. The new travel concept cafe, “JAPAN RAIL CAFE” will be located on the ground level of Tanjong Pagar Centre, the upcoming tallest building in Singapore that will be connected to Tanjong Pagar MRT Station.
JAPAN RAIL CAFE will provide Japan-lovers in Singapore with a one stop Japan-experience including the newest Japanese products such as gourmet food and kawaii items, unique information about less known travel destinations, and convenient rail ticketing service for Japan rail passes.
Platform for “Real Japan” & Real Communication
Strategically located at Tanjong Pagar, one of the central areas in Singapore, JAPAN RAIL CAFE can be easily accessed by customers from all directions to experience the newest trends of F&B and kawaii items imported directly from Japan that will be changed on a monthly basis. Every month, JAPAN RAIL CAFE will adopt the latest F&B recipes developed by JR EAST’s F&B outlets in Tokyo for its menu.
There will also be monthly pop-up booths selling kawaii items from shopping malls inside JR EAST’s train stations – a manifestation of Japan’s new lifestyle phenomenon “Eki Naka”, which exclusively means “in-station shopping” first brought about by JR EAST’s lifestyle business section.
“Just in time to commemorate SJ50, we are very glad to be able to offer a physical space for Japan lovers to interact closer with us and come together to share their experiences on travelling to Japan through onsite activities such as scrapbooking and other interesting workshops. Through the cafe, we aim to promote more travelling to the less widely-known sightseeing spots for adventurous Singaporeans who actively do their own itinerary planning even few months prior to their trips”, says Makoto Yamataka, General Manager of JAPAN RAIL CAFE, Singapore.
One-stop Service for Unique Travel Information about Japan
At the JAPAN RAIL CAFE, there will be Japanese communicators who are proficient in English to interact casually with locals and introduce unique destinations in Japan to the experienced Singaporean travelers. In collaboration with partners including Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Japanese local governments and Japanese corporations, JAPAN RAIL CAFE will hold a variety of seminars & workshops related to the destinations themed on a monthly basis.
“Through regular workshops and seminars with our partners, we hope to build a community in Singapore for Japan lovers to have a two way communication with us while deepening their interest and understanding in Japanese culture. I believe by knowing more about other regions, Singaporeans would be keen to travel further beyond the familiar areas such as Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka”, says Yamataka. At the cafe, customers can purchase rail passes at instore ticket counter before their trips. The Japanese communicators will also facilitate the customers to share their itineraries with one another to explore more fruitful trips and recommend places that are popular to the locals but not widely known to foreign travelers.
Estimated to open in early November, JAPAN RAIL CAFE aims to contribute to a mutual cultural inspiration between Singapore and Japan by establishing its role as a “platform for real Japan, platform for real communication”.
Basic Information of JAPAN RAIL CAFE
Estimated Opening Date: November 2016 (actual date will be announced at a later date)
Address: 5 Wallich Street, #01-20/21 Tanjong Pagar Centre, Singapore
Sales Area: Approx. 180 square meters
Layout: Japanese stylish cafe dining area (includes takeout), retail booths, rail pass counter, event space
About JR EAST Group
The operator for trains including Shinkansen (high speed bullet train) in the East region of Japan, East Japan Railway Company (JR East) is the largest passenger railway company in Japan, serving about 17 million passengers daily. The company's over 7,000 km rail network covers the eastern half of Honshu (Japan's main island), including the Tokyo metropolitan area. In addition to its main railway business, JR East Group operates a variety of lifestyle businesses such as shopping malls, retail shops, restaurants, hotels, as well as office building management. Such non-railway businesses account for roughly 30% of consolidated revenues, 2,756 billion JPY (FY 2015).
Official Website: http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/
For media enquiries, please contact:
Lin Yi Xiu (Ms.)
Marketing Communications Manager
Japan Rail Cafe | JR EAST Singapore Office
(65) 6536 1357
yixiu@jreast.sg