The "commuter pass" social experiment will continue into fiscal 2026

- Some requirements have been changed, including a review of the area -

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  • The "commuter pass" social experiment will continue into fiscal 2026

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March 3, 2026
East Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd.
Central Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd.
West Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, East Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd., Central Nippon Expressway Company Limited, and West Nippon Expressway Company Limited have decided to continue the "Commuter Pass" social experiment, which has been underway since April 2024 in six prefectures across Japan (Hokkaido, Niigata, Ishikawa, Yamanashi, Kagawa, and Nagasaki), with a revised sales price (usable amount) from April 2026 in order to conduct further trials and verification. The trial area in Ishikawa Prefecture will also be Large to include some interchanges in Toyama Prefecture.
To use the Commuter Pass, you will need to apply in advance for the type of vehicle and route you will be using, as before. Applications for use from April 2026 to March 2027 will begin at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
Weekday morning and evening discounts on Expressway are implemented with the aim of promoting the use of Expressway with ample traffic capacity in order to alleviate congestion on general roads parallel to them during Expressway hour. However, the Interim Report (dated August 4, 2021) of the National Trunk Road Subcommittee of the Road Subcommittee of the Council for Social Capital Development stated that "it is necessary to respond to diversifying work schedules, including by reviewing the conditions for applicable time periods," and "for Expressway that are congested during rush hour, it is necessary to devise measures such as spreading traffic across the time periods before and after." Based on the "Basic Policy on New Expressway Tolls" revised on December 22, 2023, trials and verifications are being conducted with a view to revising the weekday morning and evening discounts.

Contents of social experiment

1. What is a Commuter Pass? *No change

  • This discount allows you to enjoy up to 50% off within the specified section regardless of the day of the week or time of day.
  • If you specify the vehicle type and section in advance and apply, you can use the service for up to three trips per day for one month from the beginning of the month to the end of the month.

2. Implementation period

April 1, 2026 (Wednesday) - March 31, 2027 (Wednesday)

3. Recruitment period and application method *The application method remains unchanged.

Recruitment period (use period) Application period
①Wednesday, April 1, 2026 to Thursday, April 30, 2026 March 10, 2026 (Tuesday) 14:00 to March 31, 2026 (Tuesday) 23:59
②May 1st (Friday) to May 31st (Sunday), 2026 March 10, 2026 (Tuesday) 14:00 - April 30, 2026 (Thursday) 23:59
③Monday, June 1, 2026 to Tuesday, June 30, 2026 March 10, 2026 (Tuesday) 14:00 - May 31, 2026 (Sunday) 23:59
④Wednesday, July 1, 2026 to Friday, July 31, 2026 March 10, 2026 (Tuesday) 14:00 - June 30, 2026 (Tuesday) 23:59
⑤Saturday, August 1, 2026 to Monday, August 31, 2026 March 10, 2026 (Tuesday) 14:00 - July 31, 2026 (Friday) 23:59
⑥September 1, 2026 (Tuesday) to September 30, 2026 (Wednesday) March 10, 2026 (Tuesday) 14:00 - August 31, 2026 (Monday) 23:59
⑦October 1, 2026 (Thursday) to October 31, 2026 (Saturday) March 10, 2026 (Tuesday) 14:00 - September 30, 2026 (Wednesday) 23:59
⑧November 1, 2026 (Sunday) - November 30, 2026 (Monday) March 10, 2026 (Tuesday) 14:00 - October 31, 2026 (Saturday) 23:59
⑨December 1, 2026 (Tuesday) to December 31, 2026 (Thursday) March 10, 2026 (Tuesday) 14:00 - November 30, 2026 (Monday) 23:59
⑩January 1, 2027 (Friday) to January 31, 2027 (Sunday) March 10, 2026 (Tuesday) 14:00 - December 31, 2026 (Thursday) 23:59
⑪Monday, February 1, 2027 to Sunday, February 28, 2027 March 10, 2026 (Tuesday) 14:00 to January 31, 2027 (Sunday) 23:59
⑫March 1, 2027 (Monday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday) March 10, 2026 (Tuesday) 14:00 to February 28, 2027 (Sunday) 23:59

Please apply via the websites of the companies listed below during the application period mentioned above.

4. Applicable vehicles *No change

Light vehicles, etc. and ordinary vehicles traveling in designated areas using ETC wireless communication
(ETC credit card and ETC personal card only)

  • Please note that usage with ETC corporate cards is not eligible.

5. Sales price (available amount) and designated section *Subject to change (underlined)

Sales price (available amount)

You can use the designated section 30 times for the price of 15 times.

  • Other discounts will remain unchanged from before March 2026.

Designated sections in each area (changes only in Ishikawa Prefecture area)

area Target IC/designated section
Hokkaido E5 Hokkaido Expressway Sapporo Minami IC ⇔ Kitahiroshima IC ~ Chitose IC between any 1 IC (between 4 ICs)
Niigata E17 Kan-Etsu Expressway Nagaoka IC, E8 Hokuriku Expressway Nakanoshima-mitsuke IC, Sanjo-tsubame IC, Niigata-nishi IC,
E49 Ban-Etsu Expressway Niigata Chuo IC and E7 Between the Niigata Kameda Interchanges on the Japan Sea Tohoku Tohoku Expressway (12 Interchanges)
  • However, this excludes the areas between Niigata Nishi IC, Niigata Chuo IC, and Niigata Kameda IC.
Yamanashi Prefecture E20 Chuo Expressway Otsuki IC, Ichinomiya Misaka IC, Kofu Showa IC, Nirasaki IC, Sutama IC, and Nagasaka IC (between 15 ICs)
Ishikawa Prefecture
Toyama Prefecture
  • <Ishikawa Prefecture>
    E8 Hokuriku Expressway Kaga IC to Kanazawa Morimoto IC (47 ICs)
  • <Ishikawa Prefecture⇔Toyama Prefecture>
    E8 Hokuriku Expressway: Between Kanazawa Nishi IC and Kanazawa Morimoto IC ⇔ Between Oyabe IC and Kosugi IC, any one of these (15 ICs)
  • <Toyama Prefecture>
    E8 Hokuriku Expressway: Between any one of the following ICs: Oyabe IC - Kosugi IC ⇔ Toyama Nishi IC - Nagaresugi Smart IC, and between Toyama Nishi IC and Nagaresugi Smart IC (18 ICs)
    • Between Oyabe IC and Kosugi IC, the Oyabe East Main Line toll gate is included.
    • If you go through the Oyabe Higashi Main Line toll gate (Oyabe Tonami JCT), you will need to pay the toll for the E41 Noetsu Expressway (Toyama Prefectural Road Public Corporation) separately.
Kagawa Prefecture E11 Takamatsu Expressway Shiratori Ouchi IC, Takamatsu Chuo IC, Takamatsu Danshi IC, Takamatsu Nishi IC, Sakaide IC, and Zentsuji IC (between 10 ICs)
Nagasaki Prefecture E34 Nagasaki Expressway Nagasaki IC, Nagasaki Tarami IC, Isahaya IC, Omura IC and E96 Nagasaki Bypass Kabira IC between each IC (between 14 ICs)
  • Kabira IC includes when passing through the Kabira Main Line toll gate
  • If you drive consecutively with E34 Nagasaki Dejima Road or Kabira Toll Road managed by Nagasaki Prefectural Road Public Corporation, you will need to pay a separate toll for that road.
  • Please refer to the attached PDF (467KB) for details on the combination of designated sections and sales prices (available amounts).
  • Target ICs may be revised based on trial status.

6. Duplication of discounts *No changes

  • Holiday discounts and late-night discounts are not applicable to uses to which this discount applies.
  • If you apply for a commuter pass, the weekday morning and evening discount will not apply to all Expressway use in the month of application, regardless of whether it is within or outside the designated section.

Other/Notes

  • In the Ishikawa and Toyama prefecture areas, we will be recruiting 1,000 monitors each month on a first-come, first-served basis, and in the five prefectures of Hokkaido, Niigata, Yamanashi, Kagawa, and Nagasaki, we will be recruiting 500 monitors each month on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Requirements may change during the implementation period based on the situation such as system load.

Contact information (customers only)

  • NEXCO東日本お客さまセンター(24時間)
    TEL 0570-024-024(通話料有料)
    または
    TEL 03-5308-2424(通話料有料)
  • NEXCO中日本お客さまセンター(24時間)
    TEL 0120-922-229(フリーダイヤル)
    (フリーダイヤルをご利用になれないお客さま)
    TEL 052-223-0333(通話料有料)
  • NEXCO西日本お客さまセンター(24時間)
    TEL 0120-924-863(フリーダイヤル)
    (フリーダイヤルをご利用になれないお客さま)
    TEL 06-6876-9031(通話料有料)
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