Midori-no-Madoguchi Day (Green Ticket Window Day)

What Is Midori-no-Madoguchi Day?

September 24 marks Midori-no-Madoguchi Day (Green Ticket Window Day), commemorating September 24, 1965, when Japanese National Railways (JNR, the predecessor of JR) rolled out Midori-no-Madoguchi ticket counters equipped with the online reserved-seat system MARS at roughly 150 stations nationwide. At the start, the counters opened at 152 major stations and 83 offices of the Japan Travel Bureau (now JTB).

A Nationwide Rollout That Modernized Rail Ticketing

Before this, issuing a reserved-seat ticket meant clerks manually checking paper ledgers at each station, a slow and labor-intensive process. The arrival of Midori-no-Madoguchi brought a major shift to how train reservations worked.

• Origin: On September 24, 1965, JNR opened Midori-no-Madoguchi counters at about 150 stations nationwide
• Technology: The counters were equipped with MARS, an online reserved-ticket sales system
• Significance: Seat availability across the country could now be shared in real time

Why Midori (Green)?

The name Midori-no-Madoguchi comes from the tickets issued at these counters, which were printed on a pale green background, unlike the red or blue pre-printed tickets sold elsewhere. Ever since, it has become a familiar and iconic part of Japanese rail travel for anyone booking a reserved or limited-express ticket.

How to Spend the Day

• Learn about the history of Midori-no-Madoguchi and how the MARS system worked
• Visit a ticket counter or reserved-seat machine at your local station
• Book a ticket to somewhere you've been wanting to visit
• Read up on how railway reservation systems have evolved over time

The Green Counter Behind Modern Ticket Booking

Midori-no-Madoguchi Day commemorates the 1965 milestone that transformed how train tickets are reserved in Japan. September 24 is a day to appreciate the history behind a system many of us now take for granted.