Have you ever used Suica, when you traveled in Japan???
To enjoy to travel around, it’s necessary for visitors to obtain Suica. When you get on a train, a bus, and other transportation, you have to use it. In addition, when you buy beverage, have foods in a restaurants, you can use Suica. Some shops might be unacceptable to use Credit Card but Suica is OK. And vice versa. Anyway, to gain more payment type, Suica is very useful.
In this part, when you arrive at an airport in Japan, I’d like to introduce how to prepare Suica and check information for visitors pass.
Also, I wrote about JR trains in Tokyo. It’s very confused to choose correct trains to go to your destination. If you’re interested in it, please check following link.
Contents
1. How to create Suica
Basically, you have two options to get Suica.
- Ticket vending machine
- Create Suica in your phone
Currently, many visitors are coming to Japan so, there is too long quene in front of a vending machine.
I strongly recommend you to create it in your phone. Before you depart, you can get Suica in advance. Here is an instruction to get Suica in your phone. (*For me, I’m using iPhone so iPhone users follow this instruction. For others, check this instruction but it could be different.)
- Go to wallet app.
- Press a Plus button
- Select the Transit Card
- Select a Suica
- After that, put the amount of money to top-up and pay via your credit card which is recorded on your phone.
That’s it! If you wanna top-up more, you can add your money in your phone. I think it’s the most convenience way.
2. How to use Suica
It’s very simple to use Suica.
Have a look this picture. It’s a ticket vending machine of Ramen shop. Just tap your card or your phone to the card leader. On a gate of station, a bus, a cashier of convenience store, restaurant, there is a card leader. One tap and complete your payment! Also, after tap, your balance is displayed so you can check the amount of money.
3. Where you can use Suica
As I said before, you can use Suica everywhere. For example…
- Train Station
- Bus
- Taxi
- Convenience Store
- Restaurants
- Izakayas
- Sightseeing spots like Museums, Temples
But, be careful. Excluded public transportation, some places are not acceptable Suica. So, please check the entrance or beside cashier. There is “IC Card” mark. If you see this mark, you can use Suica to proceed your payment.
*Suica is by JR East company, which means that you can only use East side of Japan. If you wanna use Suica in West side such as Kagoshima, you might not use it because the company is different.
4. Suica for Visitors
According to JR East, there are some special passes for tourist. If you wanna get detail information, click this picture. You can access to homepage of JR East.
If you stay long in Japan like more than 1 month, you are better to create normal Suica, as I mentioned. But, If you stay short like one week, these passes are special for you. Here is steps to get tourist pass…
- Click this link and apply for Tourist pass
- Hold your passport and go to a Reserved Seat Ticket Vending Machine to pick up your Suica.(Here is a mark of vending machine to pick up.)
- Use it!!!
Also, you can directly go to a vending machine and a counter in person to get a visitor pass. However, please make sure that a counter in person and a special vending machine including Rail Pass Mark are located on only big station such as Haneda, Narita Airport, Tokyo, Shinjyuku, Yokohama, Ueno, Omiya etc. Depending on your hotel, you can’t get the pass in the nearest station. Anyway, you have to check the official website of JR East.
5. Conclusion
Totally, Suica is necessary for you to enjoy traveling around in Japan. If you have one Suica, you can use everywhere! To enjoy to trip in Japan, please check JR East website, and prepare to get your Suica!!!
Leave a Reply