Tokyo Metro and NAVITIME JAPAN Fully Launch Japan's First 'Seating Visualization'. 'Seatable Route Search' Now Available
Tokyo Metro and NAVITIME JAPAN will begin offering 'Seatable Route Search' to premium members of the Transfer NAVITIME app from March 30, 2026, visually proposing routes where passengers are likely to find a seat.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 30, 2026 at 20:40
- 🔍 Collected: March 30, 2026 at 22:56 (2h 15m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 07:28 (584h 32m after Collected)
Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. (President: Akihiro Kosaka, Headquarters: Taito-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter "Tokyo Metro") and NAVITIME JAPAN Co., Ltd. (President: Keisuke Onishi, Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter "NAVITIME JAPAN") will officially launch "Seatable Route Search" and "Easy-to-Sit Car Guide" to maximize travel comfort utilizing "seating probability" (likelihood of finding a seat) estimated from train vehicle data. The full service will be available exclusively for premium members of the "Transfer NAVITIME" app starting Monday, March 30, 2026.
* "Seating probability" indicates the likelihood of being able to sit and does not guarantee a seat. * Please refrain from "using smartphones while walking." We ask for your cooperation in improving manners.
Tokyo Metro and NAVITIME JAPAN have been trial-providing the "Easy-to-Sit Car Guide" for about a year and a half, proceeding with the verification of the accuracy of the "seating probability" *1.
During this trial, about 3,800 responses were collected from the experience survey and improvement request questionnaire. By modifying the "seating probability" based on this data, it became possible to highly accurately predict "where and how much you can sit."
Furthermore, as a new UI, a bar display shows the proportion and time you can sit. By incorporating features that propose alternative routes where you can sit longer, such as "Wait for the next train to sit more easily" or "Transfer from an express to a local train for a better chance of sitting," the service officially launches as "Seatable Route Search."
We are also developing new technologies to expand this service to lines other than Tokyo Metro in the future. Tokyo Metro and NAVITIME JAPAN will promote initiatives aiming to provide services that lead to comfortable travel for customers.
1. Functional Overview of 'Seatable Route Search'
(1) Display of Estimated Seating Time
On the route search result list screen, a bar displays the expected value of how many minutes you may be able to sit during the entire boarding section.
* "Seating probability" indicates the likelihood of being able to sit and does not guarantee a seat. * Please refrain from "using smartphones while walking." We ask for your cooperation in improving manners.
Tokyo Metro and NAVITIME JAPAN have been trial-providing the "Easy-to-Sit Car Guide" for about a year and a half, proceeding with the verification of the accuracy of the "seating probability" *1.
During this trial, about 3,800 responses were collected from the experience survey and improvement request questionnaire. By modifying the "seating probability" based on this data, it became possible to highly accurately predict "where and how much you can sit."
Furthermore, as a new UI, a bar display shows the proportion and time you can sit. By incorporating features that propose alternative routes where you can sit longer, such as "Wait for the next train to sit more easily" or "Transfer from an express to a local train for a better chance of sitting," the service officially launches as "Seatable Route Search."
We are also developing new technologies to expand this service to lines other than Tokyo Metro in the future. Tokyo Metro and NAVITIME JAPAN will promote initiatives aiming to provide services that lead to comfortable travel for customers.
1. Functional Overview of 'Seatable Route Search'
(1) Display of Estimated Seating Time
On the route search result list screen, a bar displays the expected value of how many minutes you may be able to sit during the entire boarding section.