Rihito Itagaki Makes First Appearance! JR West Launches New TV CM for 'WESTER Points' Starting Today

West Japan Railway Company (headquartered in Kita-ku, Osaka City; President: Shoji Kurusaka; hereinafter 'JR West') will begin broadcasting a new television commercial starring actor Rihito Itagaki from June 15, 2026 (Monday), across the entire West Japan region, to further communicate the appeal of its group-wide common points service, 'WESTER Points'.

Overview of the New TV CM

The protagonist (played by Rihito Itagaki) is a resident of WESTER WORLD (the blue world). At moments when users are encouraged to earn or use WESTER Points, he jumps from the blue world into the real world and asks people: 'Are you saving WESTER Points?'

'WESTER Points: Shinkansen Reservation' (15 seconds) URL: https://youtu.be/JwnBVtJDAus

'WESTER Points: Just Riding' (15 seconds) URL: https://youtu.be/WKEfu1g0Mrw

'WESTER Points: Shopping' (15 seconds) URL: https://youtu.be/nY5Po2Y4srU

Interview with Rihito Itagaki

〇 This is your first time appearing in a JR West CM. How did you feel when you were cast? I was genuinely happy. I often travel by Shinkansen to Hiroshima and other parts of West Japan for work and personal reasons, so JR West has always been a familiar presence in my daily life. I'm delighted to be collaborating professionally in this way.

〇 Do you usually collect points? I wouldn't say I actively collected them, but rather, 'I realized they had accumulated' without me noticing.

But this opportunity made me want to seriously engage with point collection from now on (laughs). I realized how rewarding it can be—whether it's for Shinkansen travel or everyday use of ICOCA in West Japan.

〇 One feature of WESTER Points is that accumulated points can be used for discounted Shinkansen and limited express train rides. If you had points, where would you like to visit? When I was in middle school, I visited Yamaguchi for work and had squid sashimi that was incredibly delicious. The taste and atmosphere of that restaurant still stick with me—it was shockingly good. I’d love to go back to Yamaguchi just for that food (laughs).

〇 You played a mysterious character from the blue world. What stood out to you during filming? I’ve played strange roles before, but this time, the entire set was blue—blue ticket gates, even the contents of shopping baskets were colored blue. I found it really cute and enjoyed filming.

〇 Please share a message for those who don’t yet know or use WESTER Points.

Since learning about this project, I’ve become more aware of point accumulation myself. I hope this CM inspires more people to start using WESTER Points and enjoy the process of collecting them.

Cast Profile

Rihito Itagaki

Born: January 28, 2002

Made his acting debut in 2012. Won the 48th Japan Academy Prize for New Actor for his roles in the films 'Hakkenden', 'Cells at Work!', and 'Onmyoji 0'. Last year, he starred in the prime-time drama 'Secret ~THE TOP SECRET~' (Kansai Telecasting Corporation/Fuji TV), and appeared in films 'Babanbababambanpia', 'Meets the World', and NHK’s morning dramas 'Bakebake' and 'Happy Marriage'. This year, he will star in the film 'A Survey About the Mouth', and has been cast in TV Asahi’s 'Airport ~GATE24~', set to begin in July.

About WESTER Points

WESTER Points is a common points service offered by the JR West Group, allowing users to 'earn' and 'use' points across various services, including rail travel and shopping, from daily life to travel.

Since its launch in March 2023, the service has expanded over approximately three years beyond just railway usage to include payments, shopping, and accommodations—covering a wide range of 'outings' scenarios. Additionally, the introduction of the mobile payment app 'Wesmo!', launched in May 2025, has expanded the environment where WESTER Points can be earned and used even outside the JR West Group. As of the end of May 2026, the number of WESTER members has surpassed 13 million, and downloads of the WESTER app have exceeded 6 million, with many customers actively using the service.

WESTER Points is positioned as the core service of the WESTER services promoted by the JR West Group, deepening customer engagement through member base expansion and cross-service usage promotion.

Through this promotion, we aim for more people to learn about the convenience and usage scenarios of WESTER Points and experience the benefits of a 'rewarding, convenient, and enjoyable' journey.

Special Website for WESTER Points Service Introduction

https://wester.jr-odekake.net/wester_app/?utm_source=press&utm_campaign=nenkan_16&utm_medium=sp_jr

※ To be publicly available from 2 PM on June 15

※ All information is current as of now and subject to change