Japan Rail Cafe travel site by JR East

[miyakoji]

This came up in my Google News, it’s a website operated by JR East’s Singapore office.  It’s not specifically for rail fans, but it is rail-centric travel information in English, I thought some might it useful.

 

https://japanrailtimes.japanrailcafe.com.sg/

[katoftw]

A lot of companies are jumping on the tourism wagon currently.

 

Promoting externally. Tourism companies see a lot of income coming from international visitors, due to a large number of domestic travellers still unwilling to travel longer distances internally.

 

So expect to see more of these and similar advertisement websites pop up in the next few months.

[JR 500系]

Their the official JR East branch in Singapore, and i've visited them a few times and always supporting their events! 

 

There was an event whereby they actually catered an E721 series train and we were allowed (via camera) to see the driving operation as well as ask the official train crew questions. It was fun and engaging indeed... 

 

 

On the other hand, the 'other' Rail cafe has recently closed due to, well, couple of reasons as described in the article below:

 

https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/stingy-calculative-and-inconsiderate-owner-train-themed-cafe-blames-errant-customers

[cteno4]

Sad story, sadly the public can be a very unkind beast.

 

jeff

[katoftw]

No many cafes have survived the past 2 years.

[ShaunField]

Honestly sounds like a bad owner just from his article. The arrogance of not wanting people to stay and watch in a café designed for people to stay and watch is mindblowing, let alone the last comment "But no parents and no children. Because they are the worst of the worst". Hopefully he grows up at some point

[JR East]

4 hours ago, ShaunField said:

Honestly sounds like a bad owner just from his article. The arrogance of not wanting people to stay and watch in a café designed for people to stay and watch is mindblowing, let alone the last comment "But no parents and no children. Because they are the worst of the worst". Hopefully he grows up at some point

 

 

As usual, fail has not only one single root cause. 

 

He probably opened it without having a clear business plan (who do I target, what is my daily turnover, what do I sell and what is my margin and breakdown per product ....etc). Moreover, Covid was there whicxh doesn't help for sure. 

 

Lokking to this bar I've visited : https://goo.gl/maps/HdEbc1D89zS9J7aJ7

 

It's properly managed. Target is business customer, sitting fee + beverage or light food ... etc ... but he realized that he's managing a bar where the train is a criteria to make the customers come. He's not managing a toy trains trying to sell food or beverage to survive
 

I do not blame Isaac D'Souza and I must recongnized he took the right decision by closing its business. 

[kuro68000]

2 hours ago, JR East said:

Lokking to this bar I've visited : https://goo.gl/maps/HdEbc1D89zS9J7aJ7

 

It's properly managed. Target is business customer, sitting fee + beverage or light food ... etc ... but he realized that he's managing a bar where the train is a criteria to make the customers come. He's not managing a toy trains trying to sell food or beverage to survive

 

I keep meaning to visit there but never seem to be able to arrange a time with my friends. I think what makes it work is he has identified his target audience - people who like model trains, and also like bars. Bars are not cheap places like cafes, people expect to spend thousands of yen there. Plus as you say it works as just a bar with an interesting gimmick for business people after work.

 

I get the impression that businesses like that failing isn't uncommon in Japan. Visiting at 9 month intervals I often see that new businesses from last time have already gone. I read it was partly to do with very low interest rates so it was easy to get a business loan for an idea, and if it failed there wasn't personal liability as the banks were offering favourable terms. I'm sure someone else here knows more about that.

[JR East]

3 minutes ago, mojo said:

 

I keep meaning to visit there but never seem to be able to arrange a time with my friends. I think what makes it work is he has identified his target audience - people who like model trains, and also like bars. Bars are not cheap places like cafes, people expect to spend thousands of yen there. Plus as you say it works as just a bar with an interesting gimmick for business people after work.

 

I get the impression that businesses like that failing isn't uncommon in Japan. Visiting at 9 month intervals I often see that new businesses from last time have already gone. I read it was partly to do with very low interest rates so it was easy to get a business loan for an idea, and if it failed there wasn't personal liability as the banks were offering favourable terms. I'm sure someone else here knows more about that.

 

Sharing the comment I did : https://goo.gl/maps/3xir99v3YsSnGax48

 

500 Yens as seating fees, and 750 yens for a beer, that really affordable. Acc. to Google, it seems to be still open despite Covid side effects on bars, restaurants etc...

 

The day I was there, I arrived quite early as I was having another appointement after. 

 

Looking to failing businesses in Japan, I have no clue how it goes when someone get bankrupt in a Business, but I agree with you, there are changes even at restaurant where I used to have diner in serving exquisits sashimi replace 11 months after by a ramen restaurant. 

 

JM. 

[cteno4]

Restaurant business is the worst for turnover, very very hard business and even when sucessful it’s easy for outside or inside issues for klobber you fast.

 

i think his comments at the public and parents and kids is that they were wanting to see the layout for free or wanting to know the minimum they can spend to come in. Being on the spectrum he says thing like this bluntly even if not very politic to do so. Yes parents and children can be disruptive in a small cafe, but if they are doing that and not purchasing anything then it’s just selfish and damaging to his business. I have a few friends on the spectrum and they tend to be very naive on what some folks will do that to them seems unreasonable so they think folks just would not do it. Im sure some of that was flaws in his business planning just thinking public would not behave like this.

 

sadly the wild dreams of a business owner can just not work with the reality of the public. I’m always surprised with my museum clients at times will get into an idea and totally forget the public in the equation and it’s their day to day business.
 

jeff

[JR East]

8 hours ago, cteno4 said:

sadly the wild dreams of a business owner can just not work with the reality of the public. I’m always surprised with my museum clients at times will get into an idea and totally forget the public in the equation and it’s their day to day business.
 

jeff

Business 101 : customers, customers, customers. 

 

i'm belonging to an entrepreneur club for a certain time where, every year, I'm making a presentation of the P&L tool in relation with the Business plan. All my slides are referring to the customer. It's key for the business whatever B2B ou B2C is. 

 

JM.