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Student-discount services based on digital student credentials have been under consideration for quite some time. Among people around me, discussions with the National Institute of Informatics (NII) under the name Student Identity Trust Framework had begun by 2012 at the latest.

The newly announced initiative follows this line while incorporating My Number Cards, the Digital Authentication App, Microsoft Authenticator, and VCs as implementation technologies. In a sense, placing it within the familiar analogy of paper and cards may also have made it empirically “easier to understand” for the general public. The following is an overview.

Overview

JR West and the Digital Agency conducted a demonstration experiment at Osaka Station using My Number Cards to verify university students’ enrollment. In the experiment, students obtain digital enrollment certificates online and use My Number Cards for identity verification when purchasing digital tickets. The aim is to eliminate the conventional counter procedure requiring presentation of a paper enrollment certificate, improving convenience and operational efficiency. Integration between services provided by the National Institute of Informatics (NII) and JR West’s digital platform “WESTER” is also being considered, with future application to other public institutions and services envisioned.

The announcement mainly covered the following items.

1. Digitizing Enrollment Verification Using My Number Cards

  • Conventionally, students purchasing student-discount tickets had to present a paper enrollment certificate at a station counter.
  • In this demonstration, students complete the procedure online by obtaining a digital enrollment certificate online and using a My Number Card for identity verification.
  • The Nikkei article includes a photograph showing a “web ticket purchased after enrollment was verified with a My Number Card” during the demonstration.
  • According to JR West’s press release, students first download the “Digital Authentication App” and “Microsoft Authenticator” to their smartphones, obtain enrollment information through the university’s web system, and link it to Microsoft Authenticator.

The detailed process is shown in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Process from the JR West Press Release

  1. Download the “Digital Authentication App”1 and “Microsoft Authenticator”2 to the smartphone
  2. The student logs in to the university’s web system and obtains enrollment information provided by the National Institute of Informatics (NII)
  3. The obtained enrollment information is linked to Microsoft Authenticator and stored on the student’s smartphone
  4. Log in with the “Digital Authentication App” to “Machi no Otomo Passport,” the electronic ticket sales platform operated by JR West
  5. The “Digital Authentication App” launches, reads the student’s own My Number Card, performs authentication, and confirms that the personal information matches the information registered with MAB3
  6. When obtaining a student-only discounted ticket displayed in “Machi no Otomo Passport,” it links to Microsoft Authenticator and verifies that the person authenticated by MAB is currently enrolled
  7. Obtain the student-only ticket

Even with that explanation, the relationships are difficult to understand. So I used a great deal of imagination to draw a simplified sequence diagram (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Sequence Diagram for the JR West–Digital Agency Demonstration

The following points personally caught my attention.

  1. Compared with a conventional federated-authentication-based approach (SAML or OpenID Connect), Figure 1 adds steps 3 and 6. In return, the university cannot tell where the student used the discount. (Conversely, if it is acceptable for the university to know, these steps can be omitted.)
  2. The press release does not explain how issued enrollment information can be revoked. (Care is required because, depending on the method, the university could learn that the credential was used. A VC Status List or something similar will probably be used.)
  3. It uses so-called attribute-based record linkage. This is why the My Number Card and Digital Authentication App are used. (If the university-issued credential is trusted in the first place, the basic 4 pieces of information from the My Number Card should be unnecessary. To enforce one use per person, only the value of the user identifier issued by the Digital Authentication App (the sub value) should suffice. If we disregard exceptional cases such as a person belonging to multiple schools, even that should be unnecessary.)

2. Online Purchase of Student-Discount Tickets and Passage Through Ticket Gates Using Facial Recognition

  • In the demonstration, an Osaka University student used a purchased digital ticket and passed through the ticket gate using facial recognition.
  • Yuya Takeuchi, a graduate student at Osaka University, described its convenience: “Everything was completed online, and I entered the ticket gate smoothly” (Nikkei).
(Figure 3) The facial-recognition gate at Osaka Station used in the experiment. Photo: author (2025-05-24)

* It is unclear at which step the facial image used for facial recognition was obtained, so I would like to ask about that.

3. Collaboration Among Relevant Organizations

  • JR West was selected for this demonstration under a Digital Agency public solicitation, and it was conducted using the digital enrollment credential issuance service provided by the National Institute of Informatics (NII).
  • Digital Agency Parliamentary Vice-Minister Nobuchiyo Kishi said, “In the future, we would like to pursue applications at multiple universities and public institutions,” suggesting the importance of collaboration (Nikkei).

4. JR West’s Objectives and Future Prospects

  • In addition to making counter operations more efficient, JR West wants to “increase contact with students and other young people and deepen our services” (Hideo Okuda, General Manager of JR West’s Digital Solutions Headquarters, Nikkei).
  • JR West aims to begin full-scale enrollment verification using My Number Cards with Osaka University as early as the beginning of 2026.
  • Future expansion of services through integration with “WESTER,” the common ID for the JR West Group, is also under consideration.
  • Keitai Watch explains that the demonstration “was selected as a representative case in light of the fact that many enrollment certificates are still issued on paper,” indicating that nationwide adoption by universities and application to other qualification information are also envisioned.
  • The JR West press release states that the company plans to work with Osaka University in fiscal 2025 to improve the scheme so that it is clear and easy for students to use.
  • In the long term, use is envisioned not only for transportation but also in a wide range of fields, including rental cars, buses, airline tickets, and museums (Keitai Watch).

5. Use of the “Mobility Auth Bridge (MAB)” Technology Platform

  • According to JR West’s press release, the demonstration uses an ID platform called “Mobility Auth Bridge (MAB),” which has also been introduced in KANSAI MaaS.
  • MAB is a secure ID service that, with user consent, allows various services to be used with one ID. JR West developed it as infrastructure required for a digital society with support from NTT Communications and ITOCHU Techno-Solutions.
  • Using MAB enables the collection and use of customer data from digital services and is also expected to contribute to local communities.

6. Contribution to the SDGs

  • JR West’s press release states that the initiative will contribute particularly to the SDG goals “3. Good Health and Well-Being,” “9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure,” “11. Sustainable Cities and Communities,” and “17. Partnerships for the Goals.”

Quotes

  • (Yuya Takeuchi) “Everything was completed online, and I entered the ticket gate smoothly” (Nikkei)
  • (Parliamentary Vice-Minister Nobuchiyo Kishi) “In the future, we would like to pursue applications at multiple universities and public institutions” (Nikkei)
  • (Hideo Okuda, Director and Senior Executive Officer, JR West) “We want to increase contact with students and other young people and deepen our services” (Nikkei)
  • (JR West press release) “We test-developed a scheme that can be completed online from identity verification through use of the student discount.”
  • (Keitai Watch) “Prove that the person is who they claim to be through the My Number Card”
  • (Keitai Watch) “Going forward, nationwide adoption by universities and application to other qualification information, such as diplomas and transcripts, are also envisioned.”
  • (JR West press release) “With the user’s consent, this secure ID service enables use of various services offered by municipalities and companies participating in MAB with 1 ID.”

Conclusion

The demonstration by JR West and the Digital Agency of enrollment verification using My Number Cards suggests considerable potential to improve student convenience and make railway operators’ work more efficient. Digital enrollment certificates, online purchasing of student-discount tickets, and smooth passage through ticket gates using facial recognition present a next-generation model for using public transportation. Based on the demonstration’s results, nationwide deployment and application to other fields are expected to advance. The use of MAB as the technology platform also has the potential to promote integration with various regional services and contribute to a more convenient and prosperous society.

(Appendix) Sequence Diagram Code

title Imagined Diagram of the JR West–Digital Agency Demonstration

participant Student as U
participant Browser as UA
participant Wallet as W

participant University as NII
participant Digital Authentication App Server as D
participant Digital Authentication App as Dc
participant MAB as Mobile Auth Bridge
participant Ticket Site as T

autonumber on

U–>UA: Request enrollment certificate issuance
UA->NII: Request enrollment certificate issuance
NII->UA: Display login screen
U–>UA: Enter login information
UA->NII: Login information
NII->NII: Check login information
NII->UA: Invoke MS Authenticator + token
UA->W: Launch, token
W->NII: Obtain enrollment certificate w/token
NII->W: Enrollment certificate
U–>UA: Access ticket site
UA->T: Access
T–>MAB: Authentication request to MAB
MAB–>UA: Login screen
UA–>U: Display login screen
U–>UA: Select authentication with Digital Authentication App
UA->MAB: Notify selection result
MAB–>UA: Redirect
UA->D: User authentication request
D–>UA: Launch Digital Authentication App
UA->Dc: Launch
Dc–>U: Request presentation of My Number Card
U–>Dc: Present My Number Card
Dc->D: Present scan result
D->D: Verify scan result
D–>UA: Redirect w/code
UA->MAB: Present code
MAB->D: Present code, client assertion
D->MAB: Return 4 pieces of information
MAB->MAB: Confirm that the information registered with MAB matches the above 4 pieces of information
MAB->T: OK
T–>UA: Display ticket list
UA–>U: Display
U–>UA: Select ticket
UA->T: Select ticket
T–>UA: Request enrollment certificate
UA->W: Launch + request enrollment certificate
W–>U: Request permission to present enrollment certificate
U–>W: Permit
W–>UA: Enrollment certificate
UA->T: Enrollment certificate
T->T: Verify eligibility
T–>UA: Display purchase success

Footnotes

  1. an app provided by the Digital Agency that makes identity verification using My Number Cards secure and simple. It uses OpenID Connect.
  2. a free app provided by Microsoft that helps users sign in to all their accounts without passwords. It is commonly used to issue one-time passwords and can also store Verifiable Credentials
  3. Mobility Auth Bridge. With the user’s consent, this secure ID service enables use of various services offered by municipalities and companies participating in MAB with 1 ID. JR West, which supports regional infrastructure, created this as-a-service infrastructure platform needed for a digital society—the first by a Japanese railway operator—with support from NTT Communications Corporation (head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Katsushige Kojima) and ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tatsushi Shingu). Based on a user-first philosophy, users can make mobility and daily life more convenient and economical by selecting various services anywhere with a single ID. Municipalities and companies adopting MAB can collect and use customer data from digital services, enabling them to contribute to their regions by creating new value through data-informed approaches.

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