JR East

East Japan Railway Company (JR East, 東日本旅客鉄道) is Japan's largest railway operator and the largest of the Japan Railways Group companies. It was established on 1 April 1987 through the privatization and breakup of Japanese National Railways (JNR). It operates the rail network in eastern Japan, including Shinkansen lines and Tokyo's Yamanote Line. Its business is organized into three segments: transportation (railways), the "life-style" business (retail, shopping centers such as LUMINE and atré, ecute in-station stores, real estate and hotels), and the "IT & Suica" business (the contactless Suica IC card and payments). The company is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (code 9020, Prime Market) and is a constituent of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indices. Its headquarters are in Shibuya, Tokyo. JR East is developing transport automation: autonomous BRT buses on the Kesennuma Line (in service since December 2022) and Automatic Train Operation (ATO) trials on the Yamanote Line targeting driverless operation around 2028. The President and CEO (Representative Director) is Yoichi Kise (since 2024). In the fiscal year ended 31 March 2026, consolidated operating revenue was about ¥3.08 trillion and the group employed about 70,600 people.