If you're planning a trip to Japan,
you'll quickly realize that the country's transportation system is unlike anything
you ever experienced before. It's efficient, punctual, and,
well, a bit overwhelming at first. But there's a tool that makes getting
around a breeze, and that's the IC card. Let's get into everything you need to know.
And stick around till the end, where I'll walk you through
how to connect your IC card to your iPhone for seamless contactless
pay throughout Japan. And if you're traveling
with a Visa card, be sure to stick around until the end
because there's some really important information
I want to share with you about connecting your card
to the Suica system on Apple Pay. Oh, and one more thing. If you're an Android user and you don't
have a phone that was purchased in Japan, Unfortunately,
you cannot get a Suica or Pasmo or any other IC card on your phone. The mobile Suica method does not work
with Android phones bought in the U.S. or Europe. But if you're only going to be in Japan
for a short amount of time, a physical card will be just as useful,
so there's no need to sweat it. And you should still watch this video
because there's plenty of information that you're not going to want to miss out
on when it comes to your IC card. First things first. Let's talk
about what IC Cards actually are. Basically an IC card
is a rechargeable prepaid card that you can use to pay for public
transportation like trains and buses and even some other things like vending
machines and convenience stores. IC cards are incredibly convenient. They allow you to make purchases
throughout Japan without winding up
with a pocket full of loose change. Here's the other benefit. Normally
when you buy a train ticket in Japan, the price of the ticket is decided based
on where you get on and get off the train. So every time you ride the train, you have to look up the fare using
either a navigation app or using a super map in the train station
to see how much you have to pay. Can you imagine having to do that
every time in these crazy crowds? There has to be a quicker way. Well, that's where the transportation rechargeable
prepaid cards come in to the rescue. Now, you don't have to buy a ticket
every time you get on the train, subways or buses. You just need to touch the card
on the readers at the ticket gate. When you come in or go out of the station
or come on to the bus or get off of the bus, the fare will
automatically be deducted from your card. The only thing you need to care about is to make sure you have enough money
on your card for your trip. Each major area in Japan has its own
rechargeable transport card or IC card. What's great is all these major cards
are compatible with each other. So, for example, if you buy a Suica card in Tokyo,
but you're later traveling to Osaka, you can still use the Suica on public
transportation there in Osaka. In Tokyo, there are actually two cards available;
the Suica and Pasmo. They're made by different companies, but long story short,
the cards are almost identical and they cover the same train lines
and areas. As you can see, there are multiple other different
railway companies that issue IC cards throughout the country. But the Suica card
is the most widely used, and that's the one that will cover today. But if you do happen to pick up a Pasmo
or Pasmo Passport card, most of the information that we'll discuss
today still applies and it will operate just the same. The cards differ mainly on
where they can be purchased and refunded. Most people will want to purchase the card
that’s available in the first place they visit. So for example Suica or Pasmo in Tokyo
or the ICOCA card in Kyoto or Osaka. If you load a digital card
onto your mobile phone, then you have the choice of ICOCA, Pasmo, or Suica,
regardless of your geographical location. So just so it's clear, you can use
your Suica card in Tokyo and Osaka too. Or if you land in Osaka and purchase an
ICOCA card, you can use it in Kyoto or Tokyo as well. They're all conveniently interchangeable
and you can use any of the cards anywhere you see this IC icon. You can think of an IC Card as a magic pass that makes getting around
Japan a whole lot easier. There are a few different Suica cards to
choose from. First is the regular Suica card. It'll show up in the Suica machine as the “Name-inscribed Suica” option. The good thing about the name-
inscribed card is that if you happen to lose
your Suica card that has your name on it, you'll be easily identified
through the system and the money on
it will be returned to you. You're basically registering the card. Next there's a blank Suica card. Now this one is perfect if you want
a hassle free purchase process. Unlike the regular Suica, you won't
get compensated if you lose this card. But it's super easy to buy
and it doesn't require a name or any personal information
to be placed on the card. And finally,
we have the Welcome Suica card. Keep in mind that the welcome Suica card
is only valid for 28 days, which makes it perfect for short term
visitors. There's currently
no deposit required for these cards, so the amount that you put on
will be the entire amount that you can use for purchases. You can then either use cash or credit
card to pay for your Welcome Suica. When you get it out of the ticket machine,
you'll also get a reference paper which will show you the date
when the 28 day validity period ends. But just keep in mind that on day 29
it will become invalid automatically, regardless of the remaining balance
you still have on the card. On the other hand, the normal Suica card only becomes invalid
if you don't use it at all in 10 years. And no matter the amount that you have
on the Welcome Suica card at any point, it can't be refunded. It's a non-refundable card,
so you have to make sure you use of all the money on the card
before the date that's on your receipt. And there are actually two different
rechargeable cards made, especially for tourists —the Welcome Suica
and the Pasmo Passport. They're basically the same, and neither of the cards
have a ¥500 deposit requirement. However, the Pasmo passport
price is a standard fare of 1500 yen, which will go towards
your spending amount. With the current semiconductor shortage
as of April 2024, the Welcome Suica can only be found
at the JR East Travel Service Center or the Welcome Suica vending machine
in the Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Tokyo Monorail Station.
Also only one Welcome Suica will be sold per person
since there's a shortage. However, there are multiple locations that
have the Pasmo Passport available, including Haneda Airport, Narita Airport,
and locations throughout the city. I'll leave the link in the description so you can check
all the availability locations. And be sure to pay close attention to the times
that are listed on the website. If you have a super early or
super late flight, consider either
loading the IC Card on your iPhone or simply waiting until the next day
to purchase a Pasmo Passport at one of the train station
locations in the city. Or you can always just buy
a single paper train ticket into the city instead of using an IC Card for the time being. It's the same thing.
If you're arriving in Narita Airport, The Welcome Suica is not going to be
available there for you. But the Pasmo Passport is still a
great option and it has lots of discounts included in your purchase, whereas the Welcome Suica does not have any. For charging these tourist cards, you can either use the machines
at the train stations or you can recharge them
at 7-Eleven ATMs or at the counter. Do be aware, though. While you can use a credit card for purchasing the card
at the station machines, for recharging, you can only use cash. This is the same for the regular
Suica card. You can only recharge the physical cards
with cash at the station machines. So if you have an iPhone and you want to top up with a credit card,
the digital Suica is a better way to go. Or you can use your credit card
at the station offices. If you're traveling in Japan
with the youngsters, it's definitely worth getting a children's Suica card. This is because the fares for children
aged 6 to 11 are half the price of adults. You’ll need to provide proof of the child’s age if you purchase a train card
at the station office. So make sure to bring some ID along. In Japan, children under 6
can generally travel on the trains for free as long as
there are only two of them per adult. The third child under
6 will be charged a child's fare. When passing through the ticket gates, simply scan your own IC card
and walk through together. Although the odds of being asked are low, It's worth carrying a proof of age document like a passport
to avoid any uncomfortable conversations with the train and Metro staff. At Narita and Haneda Airport's
Welcome Suica ticket vending machines, you can buy the Welcome Suica for children
without the need for age verification with a passport. And here's a fun fact. Suica stands
for Super Urban Intelligent Card, and there's also some creative
wordplay going on because Suisui is a Japanese onomatopeia
for gliding smoothly. And that's
why the mascot is a penguin. Cute, right? While we’re taking this quick break,
please also take the time to like the video
and consider subscribing to the channel. I've started creating more and more videos
specifically for travelers who are in the process
of planning their trip to Japan or even just dreaming up the trip. I have lots more to come. IC cards can be recharged at ticket
machines and special recharging machines found in strategically meaningful
locations throughout the country. They can also be recharged at stations of
companies other than the issuing company. So, for example, Suica cards
can also be recharged in Osaka, even though you didn't purchase it there. Many convenience stores will also allow
IC cards to be recharged at the cashier, but the maximum amount to be charged on
a card is ¥20,000 or around 130 USD.
Within the train station, use any of the pink or black machines
to recharge your card. Just place your card on the machine, select the amount
you want to charge, and insert your cash. It's that simple. And stay tuned. In a short while, I'll show you
how to put the card on your phone so that you can recharge it with money
from your Apple wallet digital credit card. And if you're traveling from abroad
and have some leftover foreign currency, you can use the pocket change service
to charge your Suica card as well. This cool little service is available
at Tokyo Station and a few other locations and it's a great way to use up
any extra currency before heading home. I'll place a link in the description
so you can find other locations than at Tokyo Station for the services
offered as well. And if you ever need to know
how much is on your Suica card, the current credit
balance is shown on a small display whenever you pass a ticket gate
or make a payment. If you're anything like me, you probably want to keep your IC card
as a special souvenir and not even worry about getting the ¥500 deposit back,
which is totally okay to do. But if you do want your deposit back,
you'll need to return your card to a train station. If you got your Suica from a JR Eart train station, you can return it to any JR East
train station. If you buy a Pasmo, you can return it as subway stations
or other non-JR East stations. Just remember that Suica has to be
returned to a JR East station and Pasmo cannot be returned at a JR East station. They're just produced by two
totally separate railway companies, so where you return them does matter. And also keep in mind
that the Welcome Suica and Pasmo Passport don't need to be returned because the was
no deposit when you first purchased it. And don't forget that Suica cards can also be returned at Narita Airport
or Haneda Airport. If you're at Narita Airport,
you can use one of the convenient refund machines to process
it there instead. And if you registered your Suica with your name on it,
you may need to fill out a little bit of paperwork
when you return it. When purchasing the Suica card,
you'll be asked to pay a ¥500 deposit and this deposit will be refunded if
you return the card before leaving Japan. However, if there's a remaining balance
in your card, a ¥220 handling fee will be deducted from your Suica card
balance when returning the card. If you know you're going to try
to get your deposit back, try to reduce your remaining balance
as much as possible, such as at a convenience store,
before requesting your refund. There won't be a fee if your remaining
balance is less than ¥220. One last quick note is the IC cards
can be returned only to the issuing company. So, for example,
it's not possible to return to a Suica card in Osaka
or an ICOCA card in Tokyo. Using IC cards for transportation is super easy
when entering a train station. Simply tap your card on the card reader at the automatic ticket gate. When you reach your destination,
you'll tap your card again on the reader at the exit gate, and the correct fare
will automatically be deducted. And I'll remind you again,
each traveler needs their own IC Card. You can't share one card among multiple
people or tap each person in on one card. If you've just completed a trip
and on exiting the station, you discover that you don't have enough money
on your card to cover the fare, there are fare adjustment machines,
which are usually just inside the ticket gates, where you can recharge
your card in the same way. When riding buses, card readers are either
place at the entrance or exit of the bus. If it's a flat fee bus, you just tap your Suica card
once when you exit the bus. However,
if the bus has a fare board displayed, you need to tap it when you get on as well
as when you get off. The great thing is that some taxis in
Japan are beginning to accept IC Cards, which makes it even more convenient
to get around town. They're not in all taxis, though, so be sure to ask or look for the IC
icon on the window or even gesture to the driver before you get on your ride
to find out if it's available, if that's your preferred
method of payment. Now you know about IC Cards,
and you've probably heard of the JR pass. What's the difference, and which one should you choose? Let's break it down. Like we discussed, IC cards like Suica
and Pasmo are prepaid rechargeable cards that can be used on trains, buses and
even in convenience stores across Japan. They're super convenient for daily travel
within cities. You just tap and go,
making them perfect for short distances, or if you're staying within one city. On the other hand,
the JR Pass is a special pass that's available only to tourists and it offers unlimited travel on JR East
trains for a set period of time. Like one week, two weeks or three weeks. It's your golden ticket if you plan to travel
between multiple cities in Japan. It can save you a lot of money
on long distance train rides, especially on the Shinkansen
or bullet trains. So if you're hopping from Tokyo
to Kyoto and Hiroshima and then back up to Hokkaido, the JR Pass
might be the way to go. But if you're spending a week staying in
and exploring every corner of Tokyo, then an IC card or even a Tokyo Unlimited
subway and bus pass might be all you need. If you're doing a combination of all the locations, consider purchasing
both a JR Pass and an IC Card. But if you have any questions about the
combinations for the transportation passes or if you're confused about
which one might be the best for your trip, just drop a comment below
and I'll be happy to help you sort it out. And remember the JR Pass needs to be
purchased before you arrive in Japan, while IC cards can be bought
at any train station while you're there. You can use IC cards to make almost
any small purchases in Japan, as long as the place that you're using
it has an IC card reader. Here are some places
you can use your IC card. But you'll still need to carry cash
with you in Japan because not all shops, restaurants or taxis accept IC cards and you'll find a lot of little ramen
shops around town that require you to place cash in a vending machine
in order to pay for your meal. Those vending machines
don't accept IC cards. When it's time to return your IC card
for a refund, the easiest way to use up your Suica card
balance is to use it as a payment method with shopping at convenience stores. All you have to do is tell the shop clerk
that you’ll use a Suica card as a payment method. Under normal circumstances,
you'll be able to pay with your Suica card if your balance is higher
than the total price of the items you purchase. And if the balance isn't enough. you can either change your payment method
or recharge your card before paying, But you can still actually pay
with your card if you want to. All you have to do is tell the shop clerk that you want to pay with your card
by saying, “Mazu Suica de haraimasu,” which allows you to pay your items
partially with the remaining balance. Your Suica card balance will be deducted to zero, and
then the remaining can be paid in cash. If you don't want to worry
about trying to find a physical IC card, you can load a digital IC card
into your Apple Wallet on your iPhone. It's quick and easy. If you have an iPhone with an American Express or MasterCard,
linked to your Apple Wallet, you can install a digital Suica or Pasmo card, which works
exactly like a physical Suica or Pasmo. If you have a Visa card that you want
to use with your mobile Suica, there's another way to connect it.
Just stay tuned and I’ll go over it with you shortly. Remember, if any of these mobile methods
fail for you for any reason, there's always the physical card. It’s simply an added layer of convenience
to have it on your phone. And the digital version of the Suica card follows
the same rules as a physical card. It doesn't expire for 10 years, and when you load the money in the card,
you can use it immediately. just like the regular pass. To load the Suica card on your phone, simply go to your Apple wallet and hit the plus
button in the top right hand corner. Here, you'll have the option to add a
debit card or credit card or travel card. Select travel card and search for Suica. You can also search for a Pasmo or ICOCA card and load it here,
if that's your preference. We're going to set up a new card
instead of transferring from an old card. From here, you'll need to have a credit
card loaded in your Apple Pay wallet that can be used to add
funds to your IC card. And that’s it! You're all set to go with your new card. And this can be done
without changing your iPhone region, so you won't have to change it to Japan
if you're just visiting. Alternatively, if you already have
a physical Suica, you can transfer it and your existing balance into your Apple
Wallet. To do this, after you hit Suica in the procedure above, tap “Transfer existing card.” You'll be asked for your date of birth an the last four digits
of your Suica card number. Fill that in and then tap your phone
against the physical Suica card. It'll load all by itself. Once done, your card and its existing
balance will be loaded into your Apple Wallet
and it'll be ready for use. Be careful, though. Once complete,
your physical card will no longer work, so be certain that you won't need it
going forward. If you don't need your physical card
anymore, you can turn it into a JR East counter
and get your ¥500 deposit back. To top up
your Suica card in your Apple Wallet, you need a linked credit card
or prepaid card in the Wallet app. Tap your Suica card in the app
and hit “Add Money.” You’ll choose how much you want to top up
and then you'll be given the choice of which card in your wallet
you want to use for the top up. The money does come from your credit card that’s linked to your Apple Wallet, and you can easily recharge
it just by clicking the Add Money button. Don't worry, this pass doesn't expire and the money
will stay on your card indefinitely. But keep in mind that you currently cannot refund the money
loaded onto a digital Suica card. Welcome Suica and Pasmo Passport
are not available in the Apple Wallet. And plus, if you're adding a full regular
IC card to your Apple wallet, you don't need a regular physical Suica card or a Welcome Suica
or Pasmo Passport physical card. You only need one IC card of any kind
per person. And I want to reiterate
that you can't get a refund on your IC card in the Apple Wallet, so be careful not to
recharge too much before your trip ends. Now, if you have a Visa card,
you likely received a “Payment Not Complete” error in the last stage
when we were adding funds to the IC card. There are still issues with connecting to the mobile Suica with non-Japanese
Visa cards, but there is a workaround. First, go to your app store on your iPhone
and search for the Suica app. If the app isn't available in your app
store, you might need to change your region to Japan on the phone
temporarily or use a VPN to connect. But if it is there,
go ahead and download it now. Unfortunately,
this app is only in Japanese and Japan Rail hasn't translated it yet,
but I'll take you through the necessary screens
and translate. To add a card to the app, tap the plus symbol in the right hand
corner of the screen. There are three options available —
the Suica that’s registered with your name on it, like the name-inscribed card
that we discussed earlier, a travel pass,
or a simple, unregistered Suica card. We're going to pick the one furthest
to the right and press the green button to issue the card. Here's a warning to let you know that
you selected an unregistered Suica card and you'll have limited support,
including refunds in the event of any issues
or loss of a card. If you're okay with this, select
the top right green text, which means next and select the option to the right
to read the Suica terms of use. And of course,
when you're registering your own card, you can always select
the registered card with your name on it. Now we’ll need to add some funds,
or “top up” our card. On this screen, you're going to be asked
the charge amount. Click the green text on the right
and select your amount. There's a minimum amount of ¥1,000. Select the amount you want to add and then
click on the Apple Pay button to pay. And now you can authorize the payment
using an international Visa credit card. And there you go. You created a card in your Apple Wallet. You can also connect the card to
your Apple Watch if you want to as well. This next screen says if the issuing
of the Suica card is complete. Tap Okay. And you'll have a new card
added to your Suica app with the amount
that you added to the card. And it's also available in the wallet app. If you want to add money to your card using a Visa, open the Suica app and select the option to charge your Suica which is the green button
in the middle bottom. There are two options to charge it. One through the app,
which is on the option on the left and one through the wallet,
which is on the right. But the one through the wallet
doesn't work with the Visa, which is why
we're going through this process. So we'll choose the option in the left
to charge through the app. This is where there are a few extra steps
to pay attention to. The Suica app requires you to register
to be able to charge through the app. So select the green button
at the bottom for account registration. You need to read through the terms of use
and you can click on the first one and scroll all the way down to the bottom
and select the green text in the top right to accept the terms, then select
the remaining document and do the same. Select the green text in the top right. And here's
where you register your email address that can receive a confirmation code. Check your email to enter in the confirmation code and then click
the text top right to confirm. To complete the registration,
you'll need to add in some details. First, you need to select a password. You need an 8 to 20 character password
with an uppercase, lowercase, number, and two mixed symbols. Then you'll need to enter your last name,
your first name, and your birthdate with the year,
the month, and the days. And then you enter your gender,
and then you'll into your post code. And then finally a phone number.
For the postcode field, enter the location of the hotel
you'll be staying in on your first night. For the last and first name,
try either using Katana characters by looking them up in the Google
Translate app or try all capital letters. Either one should work When you're done, select the green text
to finish in the top right hand corner. Select ok, and then you'll return to the main
Suica app screen. We're almost there, so don't worry. Select the green button to top up your card and then select the amount
that you want to add. You can select the bottom right button
for more charging options. ¥500 is a minimum amount.
And then click the Apple Pay button and follow the payment
order authorization prompts. And the great news is this is going
to work with an International Visa card from now on. You'll see the balance update and you'll
now be able to top up with this method at any time. The one question that you might want
to check with your bank about is whether you will incur
processing fees each time you add money to your IC card
using your Apple Pay method. The likely answer is that you will since it's
considered a transaction. But it may also depend on whether your phone is registering
as a foreign transaction or domestic transaction based on the network that it’s on. Be sure
to check on that with your bank. But if you don't want to incur
any fees at all, be sure to check out my Japan Money Tips Video
in the link below. There are lots of little known tips
and tricks for saving money on your Japan trip and avoiding
those pesky foreign transaction fees. You definitely want to check that one out next. You can also use a kiosk in the station to charge your card
using cash. Kiosks that support phones or watches are best identified
through the flashing purple lights. Simply rest your phone onto the sensor
and wait for the device to be recognized. Follow the prompts and select
the desired credit and the machine will charge the card itself. Now that you know the two ways to register
your Suica on your iPhone, it's important to know
that if you register your card through the Apple Wallet, it's a lot faster, but your card won't
have a registration number. But if you registered to the Suica app,
the card will have a number. Here's how that number comes in handy. First, when your card has a number,
you can accumulate points on your card that can be used as money to pay at shops
within the JR East network. And the second benefit
is the ability to link your IC card with Shinkansen tickets. That way you don't need to print out your Shinkansen tickets
every time you to take the train. You can just use your Suica card on your phone and tap it at the Shinkansen
ticket gate to get through. But first you'll have to connect the
Shinkansen ticket that you purchase online to your Suica card. And note that
when you tap your card for the Shinkansen, your fee is not being subtracted
from your IC card's balance. You've already paid for the ticket online. The convenience comes in being able
to tap and go, and not from being able to pay for the ride
directly from your IC Card. Here's how you connect your Suica
card to your Shinkansen ticket. On the back of your physical IC card there should be a card number. You need to register that number
to your Shinkansen tickets. And you can also buy a ticket
at the Shinkansen counter and ask one of the staff members
to connect it for you. To link your IC card yourself, you can purchase a digital Shinkansen
ticket online on the SmartEx website and link your IC
card to the ticket that you purchased. I want to give credit to the
One Good Dream YouTube channel for this walkthrough. I'll share the link for the SmartEx
website to purchase your Shinkansen ticket in the description
below. This walkthrough is an example
from the SmartEX iPhone app. SmartEX is the official
JR website for Shinkansen trains going in the Tokyo
to Kyoto to Osaka direction. Once you purchase your ticket, you'll see
a button that says “Designate IC card.” This is where you can link each of your individual Shinkansen
tickets to an IC card. In this example, there are three tickets
that have been purchased, and each of them are ready
to be linked to an individual IC card. Let's select the second ticket
and assign an IC card to it. And this is where you're going to enter
the IC card number that was on the back
of your physical card. And give the card a nickname
so that you can keep track of all of them. And that's it! It's that simple. And now you're ready to breeze
through Japan with your cashless payment IC card. Even if you can't link
the Shinkansen tickets to your Suica card, you can still reserve the Shinkansen
tickets online early to get a discount. Just print out the Shinkansen tickets
right at the Shinkansen station before boarding your train. It only takes a few seconds
using a QR code that you'll get after purchasing your ticket online. I'll leave the link to the website
to purchase your discounted tickets below. And just remember when you're using
the Suica card on your iPhone to pass through the ticket gate,
your phone has to be on. It won't work if your phone's not turned on. So be sure that your phone is always charged and ready
to go. And down in the description, I'll leave a link
to my favorite portable charger that I swear by that will keep your phone
charged throughout your trip. And also be aware that whenever you tap
your phone on any IC sensor, your Apple Wallet will register the entry,
even if the app is not up and open. So be sure to turn on your notifications
for the app so that you can keep
track of your transactions. Now, if all of this is just too confusing
or you just want to go the old school way, don't worry, you don't need an
IC card to get around town. Japan is one of the world's most cash
friendly societies, and you can use Japanese Yen anywhere to buy single paper tickets. But as you can see, IC cards like Suica are a real added bonus
for anyone visiting Japan. They make navigating the country's
transportation system a breeze, and they can also be used for many small purchases, saving you the
hassle of carrying a lot of cash around. So now you know how to make the most
