Glad it helped! I can assure you that the folks who never get bing bonged are in the extreme minority.

Yes! In most other regions, their standard version of the IC card is still available for purchase. Since Tokyo gets the largest influx of people, they have to be more sparing with their IC cards.

Hi! Yes, from my experience, buses, trains, and most taxies in Kyoto and Osaka take Welcome Suica. Just make sure to have cash on hand (1000 yen bills and coins) just in case :)

Each person needs their own card! The exception is for toddlers where they can go through for free.

The Welcome Suica I believe can only be purchased at Narita or Haneda. The Pasmo Passport can be purchased at those airports and some major stations in Tokyo as can seen in this map: www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/buy/

I will go down that rabbit hole once JR and PASMO decide to stop changing the requirements haha

That is correct! The Welcome Suica and Pasmo Passport can be used all across Japan as long as the train line or bus takes ‘IC Card’. Beware though that some countryside buses and trains only take cash, but for Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, you will be okay.

Howdy! Yeah, you won’t be able to get to the counter in 45 minutes unless you’re really lucky. I recommend purchasing a paper ticket for the train (or bus!) to get to your destination in I’m assuming Tokyo. The next day, you can head to the following stations in the link below to pick the card up. Sorry that it’s a bit inconvenient! www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/buy/

From my understanding, if you used the welcome Suica you bought on your first visit even ONCE, the 30 day timer begins. So, chances are you will need to buy another welcome Suica. In the countryside, there are places that have not implemented the IC card system. In that case, you have to buy a paper ticket, but I’m sure at those stations, the attendants are very helpful. There isn’t a list of IC stations and Non-IC Stations unfortunately, so like I stated in the video, have cash ready. It is possible to enter a large station on an IC card and ride to a destination that only takes paper tickets but at that point, I’d just be frank with the attendant like you have in the past and they should fix the issue. There is no set rule for this :( Hope this helps!

@@JapanReality this was helpful. Thanks.

Only Yen in cash!

Suica and Pasmo are the same!

The gates check if you have the amount necessary to go to the closest/cheapest station. Say you have station 1, 2, 3. 100 yen to get to station 1, 200 yen to station 2 and so on. If you have at least 100 yen on your card, it will let you pass through the gates. If you have less than 100, you will get denied. I hope that made sense!

@@JapanReality Hi, thanks for the answer. I had 400-500 yen, to be exact, i think it was 420 yen and the trip were less than 240. The problem with this card is that they not refund the money and the mínimum to add is 1000 yen, so i don't know if this is made on purpose to keep the money of the visitors even if You make the exact calculations of your tríps to optimize the credit in your card.

Howdy! I’m not seeing the 3 day unlimited pass anywhere but I do see a 1 day Tokyo metro / pasmo all you can ride ticket. However, I recommend the Welcome Suica over an unlimited pass. The Tokyo Metro unlimited pass only covers the metro and maybe JR. There are multiple train companies within Tokyo and with a Welcome Suica, you can ride them all hassle free. As for Mount Fuji, you can’t get there by train, only car or bus so the unlimited train pass wouldn’t be of any use. Lastly, if you managed to do more than 6000 yen worth of train rides in 3 days just within Tokyo, I’d be impressed.

@@JapanReality thanks for the info and reply...🙏

Nope! If you have a physical card, it is cash only. There are exceptions to this rule of course but 99% of the time, it's cash only. If you manage to get the mobile Suica or Pasmo (which I didn't explain in this video because complexity), it is possible to recharge with a card.

No stupid questions here! When you enter a train station, the card records it. When you exit at a separate station, it records it and calculates the fee between the two. It is not based on what train you take, even if there are multiple options. Children need a card as well. There is a child welcome Suica option for kids up to 12 years old. Toddlers and younger may not need a card but it’s best to ask the station attendants at that point.

This is super helpful! This bit about entering and exiting the train stations has been tripping me up because on some of the JR websites they state that you might pass through rails not owned by the original railway, and you will owe an extra fee to cover that rail. Also there is the scenario of entering at a JR station but then exiting at a non-JR station. Also, I have seen some people confusingly enter a JR station at Nippori station with their SUICA but then proceed to also deposit their Narita Skyliner ticket to get to the airport and then also scan the SUICA upon arriving at that station...I need to do a lot more digging to grasp this. Thanks for your helpful videos I am starting to get it@@JapanReality

It gets tricky when you have paper tickets in the mix. If I enter with a paper ticket, I will leave with that ticket. If I enter with Suica, I leave with Suica. Even if you pass through 'rails not owned by JR' whatever that means, Suica should do all the hard work for you. I have never seen that in practice by the way. When you transfer to a different non-JR rail line, you almost always pass through gates and switch trains.

Thank you this is very helpful! @@JapanReality

Sorry, I have one more silly question which has been baffling me and no video seems to clearly capture. If I purchase a ticket for a train, the ticket will indicate a specific train time, then I will have no choice but board that train because I have to have a ticket that matches the train time. However, if I enter the gate with a Suica card, there is not specified train time, so technically I could board the next or future train I choose (in cases of congestion, I might opt to skip to board a train for the next one). I am asking because I saw someone board the Limited Express SHINANO in Nagoya for Nagano, but then get off at a station somewhere in between to enjoy the view at the platform and then proceed to get on the next train headed for Nagano. I am guessing exiting a station for a quick pit stop without exiting the entire gate altogether is permissible. What if someone booked a paper ticket for a final destination, but then decided to get off at an earlier stop? I am guessing they would not get a refund of the difference in fare if they got off at an earlier stop and if they wanted to continue their journey at a later time they would need to book a new ticket to their final destination from the stop they got off. Again, thank you so much for taking the time to read and answer my questions.

Sorry to hear that! The regular pasmo can only be purchased with a commuter pass and the video would get way too long to explain it. I hope you find a video that answers your question!

​@@JapanRealityyou should replace the title to "A Guide to the Suica (IC card)" your video is clickbait and i was really hoping to have a guide on getting a Pasmo card. Disliked

Thank you for the feedback! I'll be careful next time! I showed the booth at which you can purchase the Pasmo other than that, there is no difference between using the Pasmo or Suica. @@user-ee6lk1pb6w