Seven Japanese railway operators have confirmed they will replace conventional magnetic strip tickets with paper QR code tickets from spring 2027. The announcement, made jointly on 13 October 2026, covers key routes that many overseas travellers use to enter and move around Tokyo, including the Keisei line from Narita Airport and the Keikyu line from Haneda Airport.
The Seven Operators
The companies involved are JR East, Keisei Electric Railway, Keikyu Corporation, Tobu Railway, Hokusō Railway, Tokyo Monorail, and Sendai Airport Transit. Together they operate a large share of the rail network in the Greater Tokyo area and Tohoku, including two of the three main airport rail links into the capital.
What Changes for Travellers
The new tickets will be physically larger than the current magnetic format - 57.5 mm by 85 mm compared with the current 30 mm by 57 mm strip - and will carry a QR code instead of a magnetic stripe. Passengers will buy tickets at station vending machines as normal, scan the QR code at the gate on entry, and drop the ticket into a collection box on exit. A smartphone is not required at any point.
The change is framed by operators as a shift away from the environmental and maintenance burden of magnetic media. Magnetic strip tickets require constant reader maintenance and generate waste that is difficult to recycle; QR paper tickets are cheaper to process and easier to dispose of sustainably.
What Stays the Same
IC cards such as Suica and Pasmo are not affected. If you load credit onto an IC card, tap-in and tap-out travel continues as it does today. The Japan Rail Pass is also separate - it uses a physical pass inspected by station staff on shinkansen and a separate gate system on local JR lines.
The QR change applies to single-journey and return paper tickets purchased at vending machines. If you already rely on IC cards for day-to-day travel in Tokyo, you are unlikely to notice any difference in practice.
Planning Around the Transition
Spring 2027 start dates in Japan typically fall around late March. No exact date has been confirmed by the seven operators. Travellers visiting before then will continue to use the existing magnetic tickets without any change.
For an overview of how to get around Japan by train, including the best IC card options, see our getting around Japan guide. For details on which rail passes cover these networks, see our Japan Rail Pass guide. For broader ticketing strategy including Suica top-up and airport rail options, see our Suica and IC card guide.