Tokyo’s SUICA IC Card is Back? 7 Suica Alternatives You Can Use 2024

Explore the bustling heart of Japan with our comprehensive guide video on navigating TOKYO’s intricate train network. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, there are essential things to know to enhance your journey through TOKYO 2024. Learn how to use popular electronic fare cards like SUICA and PASMO to travel around the city. These cards are not only convenient but also indispensable for anyone looking to explore the vast and exciting destinations TOKYO has to offer. Don’t miss out on mastering the dynamic and efficient train system of Japan’s capital!

Time Stamp
0:00 Opening
0:30 1. Basic Train Information
1:16 2. Transportation IC Card
2:04 3. Old Suica / Old Pasmo
2:50 4. Pasmo Passport (Welcome Suica)
3:51 5. TOICA
4:45 6. Mobile Suica / Mobile Pasmo
5:59 7. Tokyo Subway Ticket
7:08 8. Tokyo Metro Ticket
8:27 9. JR Pass
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❤️ MegLog Travel from TOKYO ❤️
My channel focuses on the Japan Travel Guide and suggests Spots, Food and Hotels.

🌸 Meg’s Profile 🌸
Local Japanese woman living in Tokyo. I am suggesting a lot of Spots, Foods and Hotels in Japan for travelers from all over the world through Youtube channels.
#travelguide #japan #tokyo2023 #japantraveltips #thingstodo #JapanHasChanged #thingstoknow #update

Please note as follows:
*The prices might be different from this video upload.(価格は当時のものですので、変動する場合があります。)
*Business hours might be different from this video uploaded as well.(営業時間も当時のものと異なる場合があります。)
*We do NOT take any responsibility or liability for any damage or loss caused through our video. (当動画によって生じたいかなる不利益、損害に関しても一切の責任を負いません。)

Reference
Suica https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/top.html/
Pasmo https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/
Pasmo Passport https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/
Welcome Suica https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/welcomesuica/welcomesuica.html
Toica https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/
Mobile Suica https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/top.html/
Mobile Pasmo https://www.pasmo.co.jp/mp/and/
Tokyo Subway Ticket https://www.tokyometro.jp/tst/en/index.html
Tokyo Metro 24-hour Ticket https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/1day/index.html
Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) https://japanrailpass.net/en/

hi I’m Meg from Tokyo in this video I will share with you the four types of IC cars that can be  
used on trains and buses in Tokyo as well as three 
types of good value tickets that serve as great  
options when s seeing in Tokyo most visitors will 
likely use trains even though some people might  
think trains in Japan are unsafe or mostly for 
those with less money the truth is trains are  
a very common and necessary way for people 
to get to work and school okay then let’s go  
number one basic train information first we 
will review basic information on trains in  
Tokyo trains in Tokyo are operated by several 
companies with the main one being Jr East Tokyo  
Metro and toy Subway besides these there are 
many other private Railway companies such as  
Odakyu Railway Keio Railway Tokyu Railway saber 
Railway and Quay Railway Tokyo’s train lines are  
among the most complex in the world however 
this means you can reach most places by train  
all lines operate from early morning around 
5:00 a.m. to late at night around midnight in  
central Tokyo trains arrive early few minutes 
so there’s no concern about missing one using  
the train Network you will be able to fully enjoy 
such thing in Tokyo number two Transportation icy  
card a pass also known as a transportation 
system icy card is highly recommended for  
sightseeing in Tokyo although it is possible 
to purchase trained tickets locally doing so  
can be inconvenient because you have to check 
the ticket price and wait in line at the ticket  
machine each time if you plan to use trains 
frequently purchasing an i card is essential  
not only because it’s slightly cheaper but also 
more convenient using the card is not difficult  
you can recharge it at the ticket machine 
or with your smartphone and it allows you  
to board not only train but also buses when 
boarding a train simply touch the IC card  
to the reader where it says I card now let’s 
explore for the IC card essential for train
travel number three old sea old Pasmo for 
those who have visited Japan in the past  
or received an IC card from a friend if your IC 
card was used within the last 10 years and used  
to have it continued to use it originally Suica 
and Pasmo IC cards were crucial for sightseeing  
in Tokyo However due to a semiconductor 
shortage their supply has been unable to  
meet demand leading to a suspension of sales 
in June 2023 while there are plans to resume  
sales in Spring 2024 no official information on 
the reopening has yet been announced as a result  
we need to consider alternative IC cards 
in the next section we will explore what  
IC cards are available number four personal 
passport this IC card exclusively available  
for visitors to Japan can be obtained 
immediately upon arrival at the airport  
however be prepared for long line when 
purchasing the personal passport at the  
airport a big drawback of the personal passport 
is that it only lasts for 28 days after you buy  
it so if you come to Japan later you will have to 
buy a new one while there’s no reference service  
for the remaining balance this shouldn’t be a 
major concern any excess balance can be utilized  
at convenience stores or vending machines welcome 
Suica another option with functionality similar  
to personal passport is currently impossible to 
purchase at Narita Airport and most major stations  
with Haneda airports Terminal 3 being the only 
location available for purchase I find it to be  
an exceptionally user-friendly IC card for those 
looking for an IC card to reuse on future visits  
to Japan consider the following options Toica 
or Mobile Suica Mobile Pasmo number five TOA the  
biggest disadvantage of the personal passport 
is that the card becomes invalid after 28 days  
there are IC cards issued by various companies 
throughout Japan but the first option is Toica  
if you’re going from the airport to one of 
the following stations Tokyo station Shinagawa  
station or Atami station moreover Toica offers a 
refundable balance upon payment of a 220 y Fe in  
other words if you have a chance to come to Japan 
within 10 years you can use the remaining balance  
on the card however a disadvantage is that unlike 
the personal passport it cannot be purchased at  
at Hana airport or Narita international airport 
or at Major stations such as Shinjuku and Shibuya  
if your travel plans to not include an initial 
visit to Tokyo station Shinagawa station or Atami  
station the TOA is not recommended number six 
Mobile Suica Mobile Pasmo Mobile Suica is a highly  
convenient application that lets you create a 
digital I card on your smartphone it allows you to  
pass through ticket Gates by simply holding your 
device over the similar to a regular plastic IC  
card by registering your credit card you can avoid 
long lines at ticket vending machines and recharge  
your balance at your convenience typically you 
can issue a new card via the official Mobile Suica  
app however this app is only available in Japanese 
for English instructions Apple users can use Apple  
pay and Google users can opt for Google Wallet 
although refunds are processed through the app  
they must be transferred to a Japanese Financial 
account to avoid overcharging it’s advisable to  
recharge in small amounts such as 1,000 at the 
time any unused balance can be spent at convenient  
stores and vending machines so feel free to use 
it up apart from the regular Suica this is the  
I card I most recommended since the procedure for 
Mobile Pasmo is virtually identical I won’t repeat  
it here next I will introduce some excellent 
ticket deals for sightseeing in Toyo and beyond
number seven Tokyo’s Subway ticket Tokyo 
offers a range of discount tickets which  
might seem confusing at first one notable option 
is a special Value Pass exclusively available to  
foreign visitors valid online Tokyo Metro lines 
and four to Subway Lines it’s important to note  
that J lines are not included and require a 
separate Fair available in durations of 24 48 or  
72 hours the longer the pass the more savings you 
achieve choosing a 72-hour pass for instance costs  
about half as much as a 24-hour pass offering 
significant cost benefits additionally showing  
this pass at certained facilities entitles 
you to discounts a drawback is the necessity  
to use your IC card and this ticket separately at 
ticket gate for Subway or Jr trains which might  
be inconvenient for some foreign visitors 
can purchase this ticket at Hana airport  
Narita Airport specific Tokyo metro commuter 
pass vending machines and information center  
it’s available to personal passport or personal 
holders with the option to link the ticket to  
your IC card directly from convenience number 
eight Tokyo Metro ticket this is the pass I  
usually use the most among the various passes 
available it functions similarly to the Tokyo  
subway ticket introduced earlier except it does 
not cover the to Subway however since the Tokyo  
Metro covers almost all major sing spots I highly 
recommended this pass as well as an example of  
how you can explore Tokyo using only the Tokyo 
Metro on the first day you can greet the morning  
at Tokyo Station visit Ginza Akihabara and Asaka 
stations and stay overnight in the Asaka station  
area on the morning of the second day you would 
go to shimia station before the fair becomes  
invalid the regular Fair would be 800 y for an 
adult making the Tokyo Metro ticket slightly  
more economical the pass can also be shown at 
participating facilities to receive discounts also  
it is able to purchase from ticket vending 
machines at all Tokyo Metro stations you  
can either register the pass on your IC card 
or purchase a paper ticket similarly if you  
have a Pasmo Passport or Pasmo you can register 
your Tokyo subway ticket pass on your IC card  
for those who plan to tour around Tokyo in a day 
this is a very economical pass however for those  
who travel less frequently it may not be cost 
effective if you are interested please check  
the official website number nine JR Rail Pass 
I’m sure you are already aware that the price  
of the JR Rail Pass also known as the Jr pass 
increased significantly since October 2023 in  
what cases should you purchase the Jr pass and 
in what cases should you not purchase one I would  
like to provide an actual example to illustrate 
this point let me assume that you have purchased  
a 14-day regular train ticket let’s say you visit 
Tokyo Kazawa Osaka Kyoto Kobe and return to Tokyo  
in 14 days while the price of the JR Rail Pass for 
adult is 80,000 yen if you travel between these  
stations by shinkansen or train it cost less than 
40,000 Yen actually less than half of course in  
addition to these stations you will likely visit 
popular places like Shibuya Shinjuku and Asaka in  
Tokyo even if you add 10,000 Yen for these stops 
the total cost will not exceed 8,000 Yen Moreover  
if you use the Jr pass you cannot take the Nozomi 
Shinkansen the fastest of all Shinkansen trains To  
be honest I personally don’t see much advantages 
in purchasing the JR Pass an exception would be if  
you’re planning to travel from Tokyo to Hokkaido 
and back in addition to visiting Kanazawa Osaka  
Kyoto and Kobe as I mentioned earlier it becomes 
quite economical as it will exceed 180,000 yen  
in most cases while it’s not impossible to visit 
them all in 14 days the schedule would be quite  
tight and is not recommended that said Hokkaido is 
a truly fascinating place and I highly recommended  
that visit have a wonderful trip to Japan by using 
an IC card and some valuable train tickets Don’t  
forget to subscribe to my channel and like button 
thanks for watching See you at the next video