by The Chichibu Railway is a rural local train line serving the Chichibu area. If you visit Chichibu without a private transfer or rental car, this railway is essentially your only means of transportation.
One drawback, however, is that Chichibu Railway tickets can be quite expensive. To save money, it’s worth learning how to use “EMot,” a digital ticket-purchasing app that makes traveling on the line more convenient and affordable.
1. Regular ticket rate…
A short trip of just three to four stops costs around JPY 300. If you only travel one way—or make a simple round trip—that may be acceptable. However, most travelers in Chichibu end up boarding the train multiple times in a single day. For slightly longer journeys, a one-way fare can sometimes exceed JPY 500, which quickly adds up.
For example, one-way fares are as below;
Chichibu → Mitsumineguchi : JPY480
Chichibu → Bushu-Nakagawa: JPY310
Nagatoro → Chichibu: JPY480
Mitsumineguchi → Nagatoro: JPY 680
That’s why it’s important to know about discounted tickets. If you keep paying these high fares every time you ride, your travel budget will disappear in no time!
2. Super Discount Pass from Emot!
You can purchase a physical paper day pass at the ticket gates of any station. It costs JPY 1,600 for a one-day pass and is available only on weekends (Saturday and Sunday). Aside from major stations, however, most station offices are unstaffed due to staff shortages and cost-saving measures.
This is why I strongly recommend downloading “EMot” on your iPhone or smartphone. With EMot, you can purchase a digital one-day pass for the Chichibu Railway for just JPY 1,500, and it can be used any day of the week—weekdays or weekends, it doesn’t matter.
The Chichibu Railway is a relatively old rail system, and until only a few years ago, IC cards such as Suica and PASMO (similar to Opal in NSW or Myki in VIC) were not widely supported. As a result, digital tickets were not commonly used.
In recent years, however, new IT systems have been gradually introduced, making the Chichibu Railway more convenient and traveler-friendly than ever before.
3. How to use Emot
Go to App Store / Google Play and download into your phone!
App Store ⇒ https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/emot/id1472652885
Google Play ⇒ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.odakyu.emot&hl=ja&pli=1
Select 買う (purchase) and scroll down, then you can find 秩父路遊々フリーきっぷ (Chichibu Railway One Day Pass)
After that, you can pay by credit card. English should be available for the the purchasing process page.
After you purchased, don’t forget to take the screenshot and you show the screen at the ticket gate.
