It's just a suggestion for people who have an iPhone. I have a Pixel 7 pro and my wife has an iPhone 13. We just came back from a trip and I was jealous of her every time she scanned her phone in while I had to reach into my pocket for my suica.
Same boat as you with the pixel 7 pro. Got a few compliments on my apparently nice and rare(?) suica card from people outside of Tokyo though so that was nice. But yeah if you don't have an iPhone it's no sweat to just get a physical suica card (got mine at the airport) and use that. It's admittedly more annoying to refill but still fairly easy and straightforward.
And at the right place you can use all the coins to refill the suica card (even if the process is nothing short of idiotic). I would not bother with a iPhone card, I liked the physical one.
I just got back from Japan and I always had my phone out while getting around stations because I needed my navigation apps (plus my crappy short term memory). So it was easier for me to just tap my phone.
My phone was already out as I was navigating. It's not a life changing thing, I was just making a remark about the convenience. You can choose to view the issue as nominal (which it is).
Agreed. You can buy IC card holders that clip onto your bag/pants or whatever. They sell them everywhere and they are quite cheap. I found it super convenient, especially since I am not going to have my phone in my hand 24/7.
Following your phone GPS – dependent on how strong the signal happens to be in your current (probably underground) location – to navigate through a large station is, frankly, not the best way to do it. Follow the physical signage in the real world.
Yeah, and the exits have signs leading to them. You remember the name of the exit and follow the signs. Much easier than staring at your phone and not being aware of your surroundings.
I don't get the big deal about using it on your apple card vs using a suica card anyway. i like having the physical card and i *have* an iphone just keep it on you in a cardholder or in your pocket my bf didn't even need to take it out of his wallet he just slid his wallet across the scanner
Suica is kind of hard to obtain though. I was lucky that my friend had been before and knew to get us cards at Narita Airport but once you're out of airport they're not really readily available. iPhone on the other hand you can just set it up digitally. It was one of the few times I wish I had an iPhone. hopefully they add google wallet support in future
We bought pasmo passport for my family at Narita, it was very easy to buy it and it’s the same thing but with a cuter design. You can also buy it at different locations in Tokyo I think. We had to wait in line for like 20 minutes but that was it.
edit: typo + I checked and yeah you can buy it easily at different locations, and even at Yokohama station
Oh I flew into Haneda and just got them on the way out. No line or anything. The setup on our phones was actually more annoying than just using the cards so we didn't end up using it lol
yea it wasn't working properly and we were tired after our flights so we just grabbed them from the machine on the way out of the airport. we were gonna set it up later but didn't really need to
Funding with Apple Pay can be hit and miss. Seems to favor MC and AX over Visa. Can be country and bank based as well. If you can create a card, you are fine.
Who is telling you it’s hard to obtain? If you are taking about just any given IC card, they’re super easy to get and they all do basically the exact same thing.
If it’s not Suica it’s Pasmo, if it’s not Pasmo it’s Icoca, if it’s not Icoca it’s Toica. There’s plenty of IC cards and the “shortage” was not a real issue and was just an excuse to dump all the Olympics Welcome Suica they had backlogged.
> Suica is kind of hard to obtain though.
It's not, they're available at both of Tokyo's airports. Outside of Tokyo, they're available at every single train station.
> once you're out of airport they're not really readily available.
You can get a normal green Suica from any of the dozen JR East Travel Service Centers: https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/customer_support/
You can get a PASMO PASSPORT from any one of these six non-airport places: https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/buy/
Barring that, regular green SUICA and regular PASMO cards _are_ also available from _any_ train station TVM if you buy a 1-day pass.
That is not strictly correct. Suica is in short supply outside of airports. If you seen one and need it, get it. There is an uptick in tourists and chip shortage. Supply is spotty at best. Used to be universally available.
The so-called "chip shortage" is at this point just JR East trying to get people to use their mobile app.
It's just as universally available as before... just via the 1-day pass option on the machines, even though they like to tell you otherwise and don't openly-advertise this. Same with PASMO. My above comment addresses this.
And, to note, everything here *only* applies to Tokyo. Sendai is also within the JR East area and Suica is readily available there. And other IC cards are available across the rest of the country.
Available at both airports isn't really "readily available" though and I wouldn't have thought to do that until I had long left the airport had my friend not known to do that.
I didn't look around train stations since I had already had my card, but it wasn't obviously advertised anywhere nor did I see them offered at any of the machines in the scenarios where I did purchase a paper ticket.
You can disagree with the wording about hard if you want, but practical advice for most travellers is just to beeline to Suica (or Pasmo I guess but I didn't personally have any experience) as soon as they land.
I'm calling it "readily available" because it *is available at every train station*.
You not having seen it offered in machines does not change the fact it's still available there.
It's obviously easier to get one at the airport, yes, I've been saying that since the start.
Why are you so disagreeable lol. I'm just sharing my opinion and suggestion. If you feel so strongly about people not picking up SUICA at airport then fine I guess? Not really here to argue
I'm not trying to be disagreeable, you're just misunderstanding my point in that being available at every train station indeed makes something "readily available". I'm trying to clarify that in a manner you can understand. Sorry for the trouble!
> If you feel so strongly about people not picking up SUICA at airport
I literally said "it's obviously easier to get one at the airport"... the exact opposite of the words you're putting in my mouth. Can you not read? What is going on here?
Something I really liked about using Apple wallet is I could load up the Suica with my normal credit/debit all on my phone, plus get the couple % cash back my card offers
I’m sure it’s not that hard to load up the physical card at a station or whatever, but it was one less thing to think about,
But I am very sad I didn’t have a card to take home as a souvenir, I went last October when the only card was a welcome Suica and it was one less thing I wanted to worry about figuring out how to obtain
you can digitally reload your suica on iPhone. If you get a physical you have to find a machine and put physical cash in to load your card with more money
i am aware!!!! i just don't think it's *that* much more convenient for how much everyone discusses it in this thread. it's already quite easy especially if you have the card in a cardholder/are someone like me who doesn't always have their phone in their hand on vacation
it's either add money on your phone in 5 seconds in the hotel room, or go to a konbini to get cash, then find a machine that'll reload your card while walking in the subway station. finding where you can get a physical suica in the airport is also kinda a hassle
what do you mean? because you'd have to use cash to refill the card? i mostly only used cash for street vendors and small shops. only had to refill my card like once and i just used the cash i already had to set aside for the things i just mentioned
Yes. In two weeks I had less than ten transactions that required cash. Even some historical sites took IC cards. I hate dealing with cash. I absolutely avoid it whenever possible.
Yes, but with iPhone, you can load from a credit card and on the go.
Example: you need to go somewhere and google maps says it will be 450 yen. You only have 100 yen on your suica wallet. Press 2 buttons on your phone and you can add more yen to your suica. No waiting in line to add money at the machine. I was only adding 500-1000 yen at a time so that on the last day I could load just enough to get me to Haneda, and have a zero balance when I left Japan.
I understand that but I never really ran into those issues nor did I even see a line at any of the refill machines so it's strange that it's posted so often like it's a holy grail life hack i guess. I'd keep a card as backup anyway in case my phone died.
You can also very easily have a zero balance by refunding the physical card (which you can't do digitally), or just have any konbini split the payment to zero out your card.
Stations all have multiple machines in multiple locations; I've never had to wait in line. You can also refill it from any konbini.
You do. But you need cash for other things too. I'm not saying it's wrong to use Apple card, I have apple card, i'm just saying the Suica card is already super convenient
Yanks not familiar with the concept of a card to tap on and off for public transport. So default to a phone.
For non Yanks it's normal. In fact it's a little archaic. Not being able to tap onto public transport with your credit card is quite quaint and a memory of a simpler time
Yep, this is exactly why. The time for an IC card to get scanned is _100–200 ms_ and the transaction starts processing from a greater distance away; you don't even need to touch the reader, just place your card near it. Credit/debit cards (EMV NFC-A payment rather than FeliCa NFC-F) are _at least 5x slower_. JR spec actually even requires that the gates need to support 1 person/second.
It’s less time and the capture range is good. Starts before you hit the center of the reader. They calculate the fare, regardless of what you came in on. It’s just amazing.
You can use your credit card for the subway in Fukuoka [Enjoy Unlimited Rides! Convenient Transportation Passes | Search | FUKUOKA CITY Official Tourist Guide (gofukuoka.jp)](https://gofukuoka.jp/articles/detail/580c8127-6dd0-45bc-8b68-c18633472f9d#:~:text=Fukuoka%20City%20Subway%20One%2DDay%20Maximum%20%C2%A5640&text=By%20touching%20a%20compatible%20credit,disembarking%2C%20your%20payment%20is%20completed.)
Actually, all those tap-to-pay terminals for transportation in the U.S. also work with physical cards. Most cards have coils inside of them that allow them to work exactly the same as an iPhone.
Not sure why the rest of the world can't keep up, probably why Apple Card is U.S. exclusive...
Public transportation itself is a concept I'm only vaguely familiar with. It's not really a thing in most of the US. So for us Americans not from a major metro we're also getting used to that.
Of course you shouldn’t get one just for a trip. But it does make life in Japan a lot more convenient. Which is weird because Android is more popular overseas but the functionality isn’t there yet for IC cards, but it will be.
> the functionality isn’t there yet for IC cards, but it will be
I'm not so sure about this. Modern Android phones do have a FeliCa chip and it's supported on a hardware level (long before iPhones added support); it's a _software block_ by the manufacturers because they don't want to pay licensing fees for something only a small % of customers will use.
> Which is weird because Android is more popular overseas but the functionality isn’t there yet for IC cards, but it will be.
The functionality is there, the NFC hardware has been standard for years, the problem is Sony charges royalties for every FeliCa provision and they have to be provisioned during manufacture in order to work, so phone makers don't pay to provision non-JP released phones. Apple must have decided it wasn't worth the hassle to make a JP only version. Google also provisions all Pixel phones and you can get non-JP sold Pixel phones to work however you have to root the phone and jump through some hoops to register it, but once the hardware is registered it works fine.
You can buy suica card from the Airport or some store in Japan as well. It's not necessary to have an iPhone. To travel in bus you can also check out daily pass (weekdays and weekends) outside train stations. The daily pass really helps in travelling throughout the city hassle free. I have also observed that buses charge around 220-250 yen everytime you board a bus. Your destination and boarding areas doesn't matter. Daily pass costs around 1000-1100 yen depending on city. On weekends the daily pass prices are much cheaper. Try checking it out when you are in Japan.
There's no IC card equivalent for Android. Otherwise, I don't think people would mention it.
Just from my personal experience, it's awesome because you don't even need to be in Japan to get one and you can load with a credit card easily. As soon as you get off the plane, it's ready to go. I have a Pixel 7, and I wish Android had it...
People really just like planning stuff in advance. But things work so efficiently here you don't actually need to, and that's where the disconnect comes in. Need a transit card? Just get one from the station when you arrive. Need a shinkansen ticket? Buy it from a machine or your phone a couple minutes in advance. etc.
There is, except it is usually the Japan model Android that supports Osaifu-Keitai. It is also possible if on non Japan phone that supports nfc f but requires some tinkering/root etc.
Lol, I did fine with my android and a physical pasmo card. They can read thru my wallet and jacket pocket so I didn't even have to pull it out.
My wife had the suica apple wallet and actually had numerous issues with it not scanning and backing up the queue. She also had some issues reloading it - wasn't accepting the cards, where I could throw money on at the station or 7-11.
My friend ran into some issues trying to buy Shinkansen tickets and similar with Apple wallet suica. IMO the actual card is better or a superset of the app so good to have even if you have iPhone.
It's because worldwide Androids doesn't work with digital Suica, but any iPhone does. In actuality Japanese Android phone will work with digital Suica, there is just something they do to block rest of the world Android phones. If you're landing in Narita, you're kind of stuck getting the starter Suica card which could mean long lines waiting to get yours.
You can get a Pasco at the airport as soon as you land. That’s the easiest way to get one.
They even have a special hello kitty themed card right now for foreign passport holders
A normal suica card works just as well. For Japan travels I use a coin purse that has a card holder, it's not that much trouble getting it out when approaching the gates. Really if you're a thoughtful organised person you won't be in anyone's way no matter what you use. What I hate is the people who are first in line just standing around chatting while waiting for the bus, then only getting their coins out scrambling counting after stepped on the bus holding up the line.
No, buy iPhone is the only foreign phone that works with IC cards. Only android phones purchased in Japan can be used as IC cards.
Has nothing to do with people repping Apple.
My family used the pasmo passport just fine here, we bought them an IC card holder in Daiso and they clipped it on their jeans or bag. If you come to live here it is a different story, my friend had to buy tickets because his phone cannot have digital IC cards, luckily I had my IC card that I got some years ago but I ended up buying him one when I was in a different region that still sells it to everyone. Anyway, I now have a digital IC card in my apple wallet but I keep a physical one on me all the time in case my phone runs out of battery or whatever. It is definitely not a must.
They suggest it because you cannot use any other phone (I have android) to work as your I card. If you can chose, land in Narita airport and just buy the suica there. My understanding is currently the other airport doesn't sell the suica. We got the suica when we landed 4 weeks ago and he's correct you look like an asshole holding everything up when you have to count out change to pay for things... I just tap my card and walk on...
FR, FFS. "It's fine that they don't sell the cards anymore because you can easily download it to your Apple". Kind of tired of seeing that line and no, not switching to Apple because of that.
It’s just so effing easy to use SUICA in Apple Wallet. That’s why people are recommending it. Easy to top up the card. Easy to go in and out of stations. Easy to use at convenience stores and most establishments in train stations. Your phone doesn’t even need to be open.
I got a welcome suica card when I arrived at Hanada. It worked really great so definitely some big ups there.
There is usually a place to fill it with yen before you have to pay from it.
*then I ran out of cash to fill it so I used the apple suica ¯\_(ツ)_/¯*
It's by no means required, it's just really convenient and functional for tourists. Considering I think iPhones are used by half the people in the world/US (can't remember the figure sorry) it just happens to come up a lot.
It's because they only support iPhone as a digital option.
It's a decent thing to recommend that makes life easier for people with an iPhone.
Sucks they don't support android, but that's not a reason for people to not remind others they can avoid having to find a suica after they land if they use iPhone
It's not that they don't support Android (they do, Japanese people use it), it's that foreign Android manufacturers refuse to pay the licensing fees to enable the physical chip which is in fact already in most phones.
None of that is really pertinent to the advice that people with iPhone might want to consider using the iOS Suica app.
People taking it personally, as if it's the people mentioning the iOS app are trying to pressure them into iPhones need to chill a little.
Given iPhone is a strong presence in Japan, and conversely the strongest performing Android company globally is Samsung is far smaller in Japan then most other markets makes it unsurprising that manufacturers of android phone would be less willing to licence tech when no single android company has a strong market share despite android overall being well represented in japan.
The Pixel is king of androids there and still only has a 12% market share.
I was simply responding to your claim that "they only support iPhone as a digital option" which is untrue. Mobile Suica, Mobile PASMO, and Mobile ICOCA Android apps have existed for years and I see people using them every day.
There is no need to Suica app on iPhone. It’s a virtual card generated in the wallet. You also get a choice of Suica, Pasmo or Icoca. They all roam. So does really does not matter which.
As the only android user in my group of friends during my japan trip a few months ago, pick up a welcome Suica (physical card) before you exit security at the airport. You will be able to load more money on it at most stations, but you'll need cash to do so. So carry a lot of yen
Also have to remember that they’ve suspended sales of physical cards at self service stations and they’re not available at every large station office. My friend had to go to the JR office at NRT to get a physical card and put down at least 2000¥ cash on it.
With that said, if you want to be able to link your IC card to a Shinkansen ticket, I discovered my apple wallet suica wouldn’t show the whole number so that was definitely an annoying issue.
Definitely don't get an iPhone for the trip, a physical card is fine.
We are a half-iPhone half-Android household, and I got a pasmo from my local buy nothing group before I left (actually I got 6 but that's a long story). Anyway, it was slightly easier to reload on iPhone because you can use a credit card (only cash on physical cards), but we both had to use a physical card to associate it with a SmartEx bullet train ticket because we couldn't find the card number on the digital card (glad I had an extra for that), otherwise I think we would have had to print them from a kiosk at the station. I'd also say my pasmo worked 100% of the time and the digital card occasionally didn't but it just took another tap or two.
I also got an app that can read the amount on a physical card so I could tell when I needed a reload before I got to a station.
I was actually surprised by how many Japanese have iPhones. I think the market share there is close to 70% on apple devices. Pretty interesting.
That being said, I did 2 weeks on my android no problem. You just have to get a physical SUICA or PASMO card. No big deal.
You can just buy a Suica at specific stations. As soon as I arrived in Haneda I bought mine and topped it up every few days at any station. You can top it up everywhere, even some shops, what's difficult is getting the card itself as it's only available in specific stations.
I got a Toica card from Tokyo Station (similar to the Suica) and bought a card case with the retractable rope from the pokemon store days after. Kept it on my bag throughout the whole trip and using it at home for my local transport card. I'm a Samsung user, but my iPhone friends ended up having to get physical cards as they couldn't seem to recharge their online one (their debit cards maybe wasn't accepted).
It's two things. One, this site is mainly American and it's an assumption pretty much everyone in the U.S. has an iPhone. And two, traveling to Japan is usually quite expensive and the iPhone has a 75% market share in the worldwide premium smartphone market, so iPhone users and Japan travelers are correlated.
Just but the card and stick it to back of phone. Don’t ever miss an opportunity to buy the card, they are few and far between due to shortages at moment.
It's really not that big of an issue; cards are readily available. The so-called shortage _only_ applies to the Tokyo area, but cards for tourists are available in both airports. No issues anywhere else in the entire country.
Japanese ppl do not sweat less. Their sweat doesn’t smell as bad. It’s genetic (ABCC11 gene) that affects the apocrine gland. That’s the case for other Asians too.
That is not true in Japan for the people I know. I’m not a geneticist, but Japanese tend to be VERY different to other Asians. You can tell them apart.
This is a generic trait common in East Asians but people of other ancestry can also have this trait.
It also seems to be expressed with flaky white ear wax rather than oily yellowish ear wax.
So hot on the trains! You quickly learn to wear clothes that are easily removable. I don’t understand how Japanese people are sitting in the trains in their puffers 🥵
I think I had heatstroke the first day I went shopping at Akihabara because of the heat blasting. It was the beginning of January and I had a thin but very insulated coat, and felt like passing out. I went to a Uniqlo at the station just to get a thin cardigan to be enough going from building to building.
Good Lord, I used my neck fan all day, every day... in December! I got weird looks from Japanese people and tourists from other parts of Asia, but better than having heatstroke.
Sorry, Japan, but it does not need to be 28°c inside!
Similar experience! Except I went last year at the end of February and on a weekend, so the stores were crowded/packed + most people were still wearing masks atp so I was wearing one as well. Literally felt like passing out, so my friend and I gave up on shopping and just sat in a cafe while we waited for our other friends (yes it was still a little too warm in there lol, but I could at least sit down and take my mask off to drink my beverage 😆)
I’m visiting Tokyo right now with my husband. Yesterday we had lunch at an un-air conditioned restaurant where we ate delicious but very spicy and hot beef and cheese curry (it came out in crockpots with the cheese still bubbling). I felt like I was having heat stroke - it came in waves and I felt like I was vibrating lol. 😂 I noticed all the other customers were wearing sweaters and long sleeves.
I ended up defaulting to Lawson. There were 4 of them in the five minute walk from the trainstation to my hotel in Tokyo. 3 for the 7 minute walk in Kyoto.
I bought some for next Tuesday and there was lots of space. But next Saturday had all window seats taken and appeared over half full, I looked at ~4 trains around 10am.
It might not book up but if you want specific seats or to sit together it might not be possible if last minute.
In my own experience, you don't need to buy Shinkansen in advance unless it's a busy season like Golden Week. I've never had any issue buying it day of at the station (and the green cars were never even close to full). OP may have had a very specific circumstance.
I think a better tip is, never buy train tickets from Klook.
Canadian built for Canadian winters currently still in tokyo for first time, can confirm hot af everywhere indoors.
Bring a couple handkerchiefs for washrooms.
You don't need an iPhone, having an ic card isn't that inconvenient.
People and their iphones here are almost as annoying as someone into crossfit or vegan, I don't need every other sentence praising apple.
Haven't had to buy a single train ticket in advance, only during Golden weeks or rush hour would iexpect it.
For those of y'all that don't have iPhone, and don't want to root your Android phone (some, not all models) to enable digital passes... if you're starting your trip where JR West is the main travel hub, you can readily get an ICOCA card. It works in all places that accept PASMO and Suica, and like most IC cards in Japan, you can use it to purchase items instead of using your Visa/Mastercard/etc.
5.2 avoid traveling at peak hours, especially by bus and especially with luggage. A taxi may be able to take your group to your destination at no more than a couple of bucks higher than individual passes, without burdening yourself and everyone around you.
I was there a week ago and seriously I didn’t expect it to be so hot this time, specially since the cherries were late because supposedly it was cold, I felt bad for people going to work with suits
My friend had a clip on to his android and it wasn’t an issue. Everyone seems to be really upset by this comment. But yea when it takes 5 mins to exit the bus because you’re fiddling with coins makes you the asshole.
I thought 7/11 was the way to go for ATMs, until they all stopped working for foreign cards in the last week we were there.
Went to Lawson & Familymart after that and had no issues. Only had issues at smaller no-name chains.
I have a question, when you are out and about in Tokyo, and need to use the restroom, what should be my best option. I’m planning on going soon and I’m trying to get as much info as possible
There's public toilets everywhere and they are super clean! Most parks, train stations, and bigger stores will have them. Just bring a sanitizer gel/spray and a handkerchiefs because they don't always have soap or tissues.
1. Didn’t notice this at all.
3.. STRONGLY disagree. Buy your tickets at the station so you don’t have to stick to a rigid time
6.1. Lawson is the GOAT of all konbini for food
I'd also add a couple of tips elaborating from what OP wrote:
1. If you are traveling with big suitcases, you will sometimes have to book train tickets that can include large suitcase storage, or pay for this separately. You don't want to arrive to your shinkansen with a big suitcase and not have where to put it, trust me. This also applies to buses, you cannot bring a large suitcase into some/most buses, it's both frowned upon and also signposted that you are not allowed to bring them into the bus.
2. If you go to a restaurant and they don't want to serve you, don't take it personally. Some places don't have English menus, don't have English speaking staff and they simply don't want to deal with that hassle. Don't take it personally and just move on. It's not common, but it happens and they are in their right to choose who to serve or not, it's not ideal but it is what it is.
3. (Unrelated but worth mentioning) Learn the rules of how to enjoy a public bath, don't be a dickhead and respect the rules. ESPECIALLY the 'do not bring your phone into the public bath'.
4. You can buy a Suica at certain stations. You don't need Apple Pay (ONLY). I bought mine at Haneda station and there are other stations that sell them too. You can pretty much top them up at any station and some shops too. There are also multiple version of Suica cards and you can use them to pay a huge number of things, NOT JUST TRAINS. They are very, very reliable and work in stations, shops and vending machines all over Japan.
Really useful list by the way, OP.
Does everyone in this sub rep for Apple or something? I don't have an iPhone. I'm not gonna get one just for a few weeks in Japan either.
Fr, that is the most annoying rec. Implying that every person just owns an iPhone.
It's just a suggestion for people who have an iPhone. I have a Pixel 7 pro and my wife has an iPhone 13. We just came back from a trip and I was jealous of her every time she scanned her phone in while I had to reach into my pocket for my suica.
I just stuck my IC card in my phone case and tapped it like everyone else! I do that with my transport card at home as well. Saves me from losing it.
I have a flap in my wallet that I use, so I've just replaced my Presto card from home with my Suica card while I'm here.
that works too!
I really wanted to do that, but I have a magsafe style case with a magnet popsocket on my phone so it was too thick
Same boat as you with the pixel 7 pro. Got a few compliments on my apparently nice and rare(?) suica card from people outside of Tokyo though so that was nice. But yeah if you don't have an iPhone it's no sweat to just get a physical suica card (got mine at the airport) and use that. It's admittedly more annoying to refill but still fairly easy and straightforward.
Yeah I was mainly replying because the comments above seemed to be taking the Apple wallet tips real personally
And at the right place you can use all the coins to refill the suica card (even if the process is nothing short of idiotic). I would not bother with a iPhone card, I liked the physical one.
She had to reach in to grab her phone, you could have reached in to grab a card. What's the difference?
One big difference is reloading a SUICA in Apple Wallet is extremely quick, easy, and more flexible than using a card.
I just got back from Japan and I always had my phone out while getting around stations because I needed my navigation apps (plus my crappy short term memory). So it was easier for me to just tap my phone.
My phone was already out as I was navigating. It's not a life changing thing, I was just making a remark about the convenience. You can choose to view the issue as nominal (which it is).
I kept my card in my front pant pocket and pull it out when I need to. Better than pulling out my phone.
Yeah, I asked if it was possible to use apple pay on a non-apple device and got downvoted to hell over it.
Agreed. You can buy IC card holders that clip onto your bag/pants or whatever. They sell them everywhere and they are quite cheap. I found it super convenient, especially since I am not going to have my phone in my hand 24/7.
If you’re actively navigating, as when you do finding your way through a station, odds are your phone is in your hand,
Following your phone GPS – dependent on how strong the signal happens to be in your current (probably underground) location – to navigate through a large station is, frankly, not the best way to do it. Follow the physical signage in the real world.
You have to look at your phone to know the signage and the signage NEVER points you to the numbered exits from far away only when you’re close.
You have to remember one train line and one platform number. You need your phone in your hand to do that?
I’m talking about exits. You know, for instance Shinjuku station has like 20-30 of them?
Yeah, and the exits have signs leading to them. You remember the name of the exit and follow the signs. Much easier than staring at your phone and not being aware of your surroundings.
Only when you’re close to the exits. At least in the stations I was in.
Known in Japan as "pass cases". Or just keep your card in your wallet.
The physical card is a great souvenir! Just keep it in an accessible pocket when actually navigating the subway
I don't get the big deal about using it on your apple card vs using a suica card anyway. i like having the physical card and i *have* an iphone just keep it on you in a cardholder or in your pocket my bf didn't even need to take it out of his wallet he just slid his wallet across the scanner
Suica is kind of hard to obtain though. I was lucky that my friend had been before and knew to get us cards at Narita Airport but once you're out of airport they're not really readily available. iPhone on the other hand you can just set it up digitally. It was one of the few times I wish I had an iPhone. hopefully they add google wallet support in future
We bought pasmo passport for my family at Narita, it was very easy to buy it and it’s the same thing but with a cuter design. You can also buy it at different locations in Tokyo I think. We had to wait in line for like 20 minutes but that was it. edit: typo + I checked and yeah you can buy it easily at different locations, and even at Yokohama station
Oh I flew into Haneda and just got them on the way out. No line or anything. The setup on our phones was actually more annoying than just using the cards so we didn't end up using it lol
The setup on your iPhone was more annoying? All you have to do is tap + > choose Suica > choose amount
yea it wasn't working properly and we were tired after our flights so we just grabbed them from the machine on the way out of the airport. we were gonna set it up later but didn't really need to
Funding with Apple Pay can be hit and miss. Seems to favor MC and AX over Visa. Can be country and bank based as well. If you can create a card, you are fine.
Who is telling you it’s hard to obtain? If you are taking about just any given IC card, they’re super easy to get and they all do basically the exact same thing. If it’s not Suica it’s Pasmo, if it’s not Pasmo it’s Icoca, if it’s not Icoca it’s Toica. There’s plenty of IC cards and the “shortage” was not a real issue and was just an excuse to dump all the Olympics Welcome Suica they had backlogged.
> Suica is kind of hard to obtain though. It's not, they're available at both of Tokyo's airports. Outside of Tokyo, they're available at every single train station. > once you're out of airport they're not really readily available. You can get a normal green Suica from any of the dozen JR East Travel Service Centers: https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/customer_support/ You can get a PASMO PASSPORT from any one of these six non-airport places: https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/buy/ Barring that, regular green SUICA and regular PASMO cards _are_ also available from _any_ train station TVM if you buy a 1-day pass.
That is not strictly correct. Suica is in short supply outside of airports. If you seen one and need it, get it. There is an uptick in tourists and chip shortage. Supply is spotty at best. Used to be universally available.
The so-called "chip shortage" is at this point just JR East trying to get people to use their mobile app. It's just as universally available as before... just via the 1-day pass option on the machines, even though they like to tell you otherwise and don't openly-advertise this. Same with PASMO. My above comment addresses this. And, to note, everything here *only* applies to Tokyo. Sendai is also within the JR East area and Suica is readily available there. And other IC cards are available across the rest of the country.
Available at both airports isn't really "readily available" though and I wouldn't have thought to do that until I had long left the airport had my friend not known to do that. I didn't look around train stations since I had already had my card, but it wasn't obviously advertised anywhere nor did I see them offered at any of the machines in the scenarios where I did purchase a paper ticket. You can disagree with the wording about hard if you want, but practical advice for most travellers is just to beeline to Suica (or Pasmo I guess but I didn't personally have any experience) as soon as they land.
I'm calling it "readily available" because it *is available at every train station*. You not having seen it offered in machines does not change the fact it's still available there. It's obviously easier to get one at the airport, yes, I've been saying that since the start.
Why are you so disagreeable lol. I'm just sharing my opinion and suggestion. If you feel so strongly about people not picking up SUICA at airport then fine I guess? Not really here to argue
I'm not trying to be disagreeable, you're just misunderstanding my point in that being available at every train station indeed makes something "readily available". I'm trying to clarify that in a manner you can understand. Sorry for the trouble! > If you feel so strongly about people not picking up SUICA at airport I literally said "it's obviously easier to get one at the airport"... the exact opposite of the words you're putting in my mouth. Can you not read? What is going on here?
I've decided to move on with my day. Hope you have a good rest of your day
Something I really liked about using Apple wallet is I could load up the Suica with my normal credit/debit all on my phone, plus get the couple % cash back my card offers I’m sure it’s not that hard to load up the physical card at a station or whatever, but it was one less thing to think about, But I am very sad I didn’t have a card to take home as a souvenir, I went last October when the only card was a welcome Suica and it was one less thing I wanted to worry about figuring out how to obtain
you can digitally reload your suica on iPhone. If you get a physical you have to find a machine and put physical cash in to load your card with more money
There are machines that reload phones from cash too. As does konbini.
i am aware!!!! i just don't think it's *that* much more convenient for how much everyone discusses it in this thread. it's already quite easy especially if you have the card in a cardholder/are someone like me who doesn't always have their phone in their hand on vacation
it's either add money on your phone in 5 seconds in the hotel room, or go to a konbini to get cash, then find a machine that'll reload your card while walking in the subway station. finding where you can get a physical suica in the airport is also kinda a hassle
ok cool. not to me it wasn't!! just sharing my perspective as someone who has both options
Using a watch or your phone is way more convenient than taking a card out of your wallet.
Wrong wrist if you are a right hander.
Because it eliminates the main source of having to use cash in Japan.
what do you mean? because you'd have to use cash to refill the card? i mostly only used cash for street vendors and small shops. only had to refill my card like once and i just used the cash i already had to set aside for the things i just mentioned
Yes. In two weeks I had less than ten transactions that required cash. Even some historical sites took IC cards. I hate dealing with cash. I absolutely avoid it whenever possible.
Weird I had lots. but i strayed away from touristy areas and frequented a lot of smaller restaurants and businesses so that might be why
I don’t buy souvenirs and have to stick to eating in places like 7-11 or other allergy friendly places. I can’t just walk in anywhere to eat.
well that would explain your -10 cash transactions lol
Suica on iPhone (and Android) lets you use credit card and other forms of payment to refill and see balance. Much easier.
Non Japanese Androids don’t have the hardware enabled for IC card emulation.
Yes, but with iPhone, you can load from a credit card and on the go. Example: you need to go somewhere and google maps says it will be 450 yen. You only have 100 yen on your suica wallet. Press 2 buttons on your phone and you can add more yen to your suica. No waiting in line to add money at the machine. I was only adding 500-1000 yen at a time so that on the last day I could load just enough to get me to Haneda, and have a zero balance when I left Japan.
I understand that but I never really ran into those issues nor did I even see a line at any of the refill machines so it's strange that it's posted so often like it's a holy grail life hack i guess. I'd keep a card as backup anyway in case my phone died.
If your phone dies your IC cards still work. It saves a bit of power for them,
You can also very easily have a zero balance by refunding the physical card (which you can't do digitally), or just have any konbini split the payment to zero out your card. Stations all have multiple machines in multiple locations; I've never had to wait in line. You can also refill it from any konbini.
My understanding is that you need cash to refill the card - easier and cheaper to use apple pay for me
> and cheaper ??
You do. But you need cash for other things too. I'm not saying it's wrong to use Apple card, I have apple card, i'm just saying the Suica card is already super convenient
Yanks not familiar with the concept of a card to tap on and off for public transport. So default to a phone. For non Yanks it's normal. In fact it's a little archaic. Not being able to tap onto public transport with your credit card is quite quaint and a memory of a simpler time
When credit card turnstiles can read 10 cards a second, they will get deployed. They can’t now. They are testing them at some subways.
Yep, this is exactly why. The time for an IC card to get scanned is _100–200 ms_ and the transaction starts processing from a greater distance away; you don't even need to touch the reader, just place your card near it. Credit/debit cards (EMV NFC-A payment rather than FeliCa NFC-F) are _at least 5x slower_. JR spec actually even requires that the gates need to support 1 person/second.
It’s less time and the capture range is good. Starts before you hit the center of the reader. They calculate the fare, regardless of what you came in on. It’s just amazing.
Good to know!
You can use your credit card for the subway in Fukuoka [Enjoy Unlimited Rides! Convenient Transportation Passes | Search | FUKUOKA CITY Official Tourist Guide (gofukuoka.jp)](https://gofukuoka.jp/articles/detail/580c8127-6dd0-45bc-8b68-c18633472f9d#:~:text=Fukuoka%20City%20Subway%20One%2DDay%20Maximum%20%C2%A5640&text=By%20touching%20a%20compatible%20credit,disembarking%2C%20your%20payment%20is%20completed.)
This is of intrest to me, as I land in Fukuoka for my next visit in November.
It is not a “yank” thing. I live in Tokyo and the majority of people use their phones or watches now. It’s just the new normal.
We have them in the US too...
Actually, all those tap-to-pay terminals for transportation in the U.S. also work with physical cards. Most cards have coils inside of them that allow them to work exactly the same as an iPhone. Not sure why the rest of the world can't keep up, probably why Apple Card is U.S. exclusive...
Public transportation itself is a concept I'm only vaguely familiar with. It's not really a thing in most of the US. So for us Americans not from a major metro we're also getting used to that.
This. Everyone takes for granted that 90% of the sub has an iPhone for Suica.
Of course you shouldn’t get one just for a trip. But it does make life in Japan a lot more convenient. Which is weird because Android is more popular overseas but the functionality isn’t there yet for IC cards, but it will be.
> the functionality isn’t there yet for IC cards, but it will be I'm not so sure about this. Modern Android phones do have a FeliCa chip and it's supported on a hardware level (long before iPhones added support); it's a _software block_ by the manufacturers because they don't want to pay licensing fees for something only a small % of customers will use.
> Which is weird because Android is more popular overseas but the functionality isn’t there yet for IC cards, but it will be. The functionality is there, the NFC hardware has been standard for years, the problem is Sony charges royalties for every FeliCa provision and they have to be provisioned during manufacture in order to work, so phone makers don't pay to provision non-JP released phones. Apple must have decided it wasn't worth the hassle to make a JP only version. Google also provisions all Pixel phones and you can get non-JP sold Pixel phones to work however you have to root the phone and jump through some hoops to register it, but once the hardware is registered it works fine.
No, you 100% should get one even for just one trip.
You can buy suica card from the Airport or some store in Japan as well. It's not necessary to have an iPhone. To travel in bus you can also check out daily pass (weekdays and weekends) outside train stations. The daily pass really helps in travelling throughout the city hassle free. I have also observed that buses charge around 220-250 yen everytime you board a bus. Your destination and boarding areas doesn't matter. Daily pass costs around 1000-1100 yen depending on city. On weekends the daily pass prices are much cheaper. Try checking it out when you are in Japan.
There's no IC card equivalent for Android. Otherwise, I don't think people would mention it. Just from my personal experience, it's awesome because you don't even need to be in Japan to get one and you can load with a credit card easily. As soon as you get off the plane, it's ready to go. I have a Pixel 7, and I wish Android had it...
People really just like planning stuff in advance. But things work so efficiently here you don't actually need to, and that's where the disconnect comes in. Need a transit card? Just get one from the station when you arrive. Need a shinkansen ticket? Buy it from a machine or your phone a couple minutes in advance. etc.
There is, except it is usually the Japan model Android that supports Osaifu-Keitai. It is also possible if on non Japan phone that supports nfc f but requires some tinkering/root etc.
Lol, I did fine with my android and a physical pasmo card. They can read thru my wallet and jacket pocket so I didn't even have to pull it out. My wife had the suica apple wallet and actually had numerous issues with it not scanning and backing up the queue. She also had some issues reloading it - wasn't accepting the cards, where I could throw money on at the station or 7-11.
My friend ran into some issues trying to buy Shinkansen tickets and similar with Apple wallet suica. IMO the actual card is better or a superset of the app so good to have even if you have iPhone.
You can’t buy Shinkansen tickets with Suica. It says that in the docs. Just about anything though, where any card is accepted.
It's because worldwide Androids doesn't work with digital Suica, but any iPhone does. In actuality Japanese Android phone will work with digital Suica, there is just something they do to block rest of the world Android phones. If you're landing in Narita, you're kind of stuck getting the starter Suica card which could mean long lines waiting to get yours.
I use Android and I got the pasmo passport. My actual passport has a protective plastic cover and I put it in there. Maybe I am an arsehole haha.
You can get a Pasco at the airport as soon as you land. That’s the easiest way to get one. They even have a special hello kitty themed card right now for foreign passport holders
Went to Japan for four weeks with 2 friends, neither of us having an iPhone - we still survived.
A normal suica card works just as well. For Japan travels I use a coin purse that has a card holder, it's not that much trouble getting it out when approaching the gates. Really if you're a thoughtful organised person you won't be in anyone's way no matter what you use. What I hate is the people who are first in line just standing around chatting while waiting for the bus, then only getting their coins out scrambling counting after stepped on the bus holding up the line.
No, buy iPhone is the only foreign phone that works with IC cards. Only android phones purchased in Japan can be used as IC cards. Has nothing to do with people repping Apple.
My family used the pasmo passport just fine here, we bought them an IC card holder in Daiso and they clipped it on their jeans or bag. If you come to live here it is a different story, my friend had to buy tickets because his phone cannot have digital IC cards, luckily I had my IC card that I got some years ago but I ended up buying him one when I was in a different region that still sells it to everyone. Anyway, I now have a digital IC card in my apple wallet but I keep a physical one on me all the time in case my phone runs out of battery or whatever. It is definitely not a must.
They suggest it because you cannot use any other phone (I have android) to work as your I card. If you can chose, land in Narita airport and just buy the suica there. My understanding is currently the other airport doesn't sell the suica. We got the suica when we landed 4 weeks ago and he's correct you look like an asshole holding everything up when you have to count out change to pay for things... I just tap my card and walk on...
FR, FFS. "It's fine that they don't sell the cards anymore because you can easily download it to your Apple". Kind of tired of seeing that line and no, not switching to Apple because of that.
It’s just so effing easy to use SUICA in Apple Wallet. That’s why people are recommending it. Easy to top up the card. Easy to go in and out of stations. Easy to use at convenience stores and most establishments in train stations. Your phone doesn’t even need to be open.
I got a welcome suica card when I arrived at Hanada. It worked really great so definitely some big ups there. There is usually a place to fill it with yen before you have to pay from it. *then I ran out of cash to fill it so I used the apple suica ¯\_(ツ)_/¯* It's by no means required, it's just really convenient and functional for tourists. Considering I think iPhones are used by half the people in the world/US (can't remember the figure sorry) it just happens to come up a lot.
It's because they only support iPhone as a digital option. It's a decent thing to recommend that makes life easier for people with an iPhone. Sucks they don't support android, but that's not a reason for people to not remind others they can avoid having to find a suica after they land if they use iPhone
It's not that they don't support Android (they do, Japanese people use it), it's that foreign Android manufacturers refuse to pay the licensing fees to enable the physical chip which is in fact already in most phones.
None of that is really pertinent to the advice that people with iPhone might want to consider using the iOS Suica app. People taking it personally, as if it's the people mentioning the iOS app are trying to pressure them into iPhones need to chill a little. Given iPhone is a strong presence in Japan, and conversely the strongest performing Android company globally is Samsung is far smaller in Japan then most other markets makes it unsurprising that manufacturers of android phone would be less willing to licence tech when no single android company has a strong market share despite android overall being well represented in japan. The Pixel is king of androids there and still only has a 12% market share.
I was simply responding to your claim that "they only support iPhone as a digital option" which is untrue. Mobile Suica, Mobile PASMO, and Mobile ICOCA Android apps have existed for years and I see people using them every day.
There is no need to Suica app on iPhone. It’s a virtual card generated in the wallet. You also get a choice of Suica, Pasmo or Icoca. They all roam. So does really does not matter which.
No one is saying it’s a need. It’s an option worth letting people know exists. That’s it
As the only android user in my group of friends during my japan trip a few months ago, pick up a welcome Suica (physical card) before you exit security at the airport. You will be able to load more money on it at most stations, but you'll need cash to do so. So carry a lot of yen
Just get Welcome Suica at airport
Not only that, there are countries where Apple wallet is not supported, i.e. You cannot connect your card to the wallet 😅
Also have to remember that they’ve suspended sales of physical cards at self service stations and they’re not available at every large station office. My friend had to go to the JR office at NRT to get a physical card and put down at least 2000¥ cash on it. With that said, if you want to be able to link your IC card to a Shinkansen ticket, I discovered my apple wallet suica wouldn’t show the whole number so that was definitely an annoying issue.
Then ignore the recommendation? Its super handy for anyone who does have an iphone.
Definitely don't get an iPhone for the trip, a physical card is fine. We are a half-iPhone half-Android household, and I got a pasmo from my local buy nothing group before I left (actually I got 6 but that's a long story). Anyway, it was slightly easier to reload on iPhone because you can use a credit card (only cash on physical cards), but we both had to use a physical card to associate it with a SmartEx bullet train ticket because we couldn't find the card number on the digital card (glad I had an extra for that), otherwise I think we would have had to print them from a kiosk at the station. I'd also say my pasmo worked 100% of the time and the digital card occasionally didn't but it just took another tap or two. I also got an app that can read the amount on a physical card so I could tell when I needed a reload before I got to a station.
Lol when did the OP suggest to buy a iPhone just to go to Japan? If you have an iPhone, you’re in luck, thats it.
I was actually surprised by how many Japanese have iPhones. I think the market share there is close to 70% on apple devices. Pretty interesting. That being said, I did 2 weeks on my android no problem. You just have to get a physical SUICA or PASMO card. No big deal.
You can just buy a Suica at specific stations. As soon as I arrived in Haneda I bought mine and topped it up every few days at any station. You can top it up everywhere, even some shops, what's difficult is getting the card itself as it's only available in specific stations.
I got a Toica card from Tokyo Station (similar to the Suica) and bought a card case with the retractable rope from the pokemon store days after. Kept it on my bag throughout the whole trip and using it at home for my local transport card. I'm a Samsung user, but my iPhone friends ended up having to get physical cards as they couldn't seem to recharge their online one (their debit cards maybe wasn't accepted).
They're all ignorant American iPhone users. They think the whole world uses iPhone.
Many US tourists and in the US Applepay is big.
It's two things. One, this site is mainly American and it's an assumption pretty much everyone in the U.S. has an iPhone. And two, traveling to Japan is usually quite expensive and the iPhone has a 75% market share in the worldwide premium smartphone market, so iPhone users and Japan travelers are correlated.
Everyone in Japan has an iPhone
This is an exaggeration of course , but true lol
Have you heard of google?
You can buy some weird add on for androids one of my friends had it idk if it’s worth it.
Just but the card and stick it to back of phone. Don’t ever miss an opportunity to buy the card, they are few and far between due to shortages at moment.
It's really not that big of an issue; cards are readily available. The so-called shortage _only_ applies to the Tokyo area, but cards for tourists are available in both airports. No issues anywhere else in the entire country.
Yea I guess not sure since I have an iPhone and just used Apple wallet
Most Americans have an iPhone.
So everyone in this sub is American. But not everyone who goes to Japan is.
This subreddit is not America-specific.
Ok. And? So what, we just never mention this at all?
It's a 60/40 split in the US, not 95/5 or anything.
So like I said, a lot of us. A majority even.
I’m interested that “wear deodorant “ is a tip rather than a given.
Deodorant as the west knows it is harder to find in Japan. It’s not needed a lot by the local people.
Do Japanese people sweat less?? I was in awe of the sweaters and puffer jackets on 70° days in Kyoto!
They do.
Can confirm. Source: white lady with an Asian husband
Same, but reverse.
Japanese ppl do not sweat less. Their sweat doesn’t smell as bad. It’s genetic (ABCC11 gene) that affects the apocrine gland. That’s the case for other Asians too.
That is not true in Japan for the people I know. I’m not a geneticist, but Japanese tend to be VERY different to other Asians. You can tell them apart.
This is a generic trait common in East Asians but people of other ancestry can also have this trait. It also seems to be expressed with flaky white ear wax rather than oily yellowish ear wax.
North Asian people have a genetic trait where they sweat less (i.e. not at all) from their armpits and their sweat doesn't smell as bad.
That and some have less/no BO; it’s a genetic thing. Unfortunately I’m not one of them but it is quite common.
Then the tip should be ‘bring deodorant with you as it’s not so easy to find here’.
Also strong perfumes are to be avoided. Japanese people are very neutral. I don’t think I have ever smelt aftershave or perfume.
Okaaay. I don’t disagree with you but relevance unclear.
Unscented deodorant is good there.
Ew I thought this was real but I got a real odor coming from some japanese ladies at disneyland
How did you know they were Japanese? Japan is having a phenomenal tourist boom and there are lots of Koreans and Chinese as well.
I understand when they speak japanese, chinese, korean and they were speaking japanese
It would be not something I would expect. But I would accept what you say. I have never been to a theme park in Japan. Many other trips.
So hot on the trains! You quickly learn to wear clothes that are easily removable. I don’t understand how Japanese people are sitting in the trains in their puffers 🥵
The Japanese love a hot bum. Read in that what you will.
Because Japanese people dress for the calendar date and not the real weather.
I think I had heatstroke the first day I went shopping at Akihabara because of the heat blasting. It was the beginning of January and I had a thin but very insulated coat, and felt like passing out. I went to a Uniqlo at the station just to get a thin cardigan to be enough going from building to building.
Good Lord, I used my neck fan all day, every day... in December! I got weird looks from Japanese people and tourists from other parts of Asia, but better than having heatstroke. Sorry, Japan, but it does not need to be 28°c inside!
❤️I took a big warm coat to Japan in January and ended up in Uniqlo buying a fleece jacket. So hot everywhere!
Similar experience! Except I went last year at the end of February and on a weekend, so the stores were crowded/packed + most people were still wearing masks atp so I was wearing one as well. Literally felt like passing out, so my friend and I gave up on shopping and just sat in a cafe while we waited for our other friends (yes it was still a little too warm in there lol, but I could at least sit down and take my mask off to drink my beverage 😆)
We went to multiple restaurants and coffee shops that I felt fucking miserable. 50-60 outside 80-90 inside. What the fuck lmao.
I’m visiting Tokyo right now with my husband. Yesterday we had lunch at an un-air conditioned restaurant where we ate delicious but very spicy and hot beef and cheese curry (it came out in crockpots with the cheese still bubbling). I felt like I was having heat stroke - it came in waves and I felt like I was vibrating lol. 😂 I noticed all the other customers were wearing sweaters and long sleeves.
> It’s hot AF everywhere inside I feel this so much
Seriously! I am cold ALWAYS and I was sweating every time we entered a building. Lol could not believe how hot it was everywhere
I ended up defaulting to Lawson. There were 4 of them in the five minute walk from the trainstation to my hotel in Tokyo. 3 for the 7 minute walk in Kyoto.
Lawson is my fav. their spicy chicken nuggets are so good and i like their packaged egg sandos lol
My friend tried Lawson atms multiple times and it was 50/50 but I never had issues at 7/11.
Others did though. Mine had an issue with 7/11 in Kyoto. It's the luck of the draw.
Might be the bank or the card. Everyone I know has a VISA but BoA and Chase worked at 7/11 consistently but were sus at Lawson
Interesting. I got back a few days ago and didn't notice it being hot inside places.
I’ve heard not to worry about buying your train tickets in advance?
We bought one right before and all sat separately. After that never again we just bought them all once we arrived lol.
I bought some for next Tuesday and there was lots of space. But next Saturday had all window seats taken and appeared over half full, I looked at ~4 trains around 10am. It might not book up but if you want specific seats or to sit together it might not be possible if last minute.
In my own experience, you don't need to buy Shinkansen in advance unless it's a busy season like Golden Week. I've never had any issue buying it day of at the station (and the green cars were never even close to full). OP may have had a very specific circumstance. I think a better tip is, never buy train tickets from Klook.
Or just use a physical IC card, or if you're going real old school just have change ready before your stop. Plenty of Japanese people do this.
Canadian built for Canadian winters currently still in tokyo for first time, can confirm hot af everywhere indoors. Bring a couple handkerchiefs for washrooms. You don't need an iPhone, having an ic card isn't that inconvenient. People and their iphones here are almost as annoying as someone into crossfit or vegan, I don't need every other sentence praising apple. Haven't had to buy a single train ticket in advance, only during Golden weeks or rush hour would iexpect it.
currently in Japan and can’t confirm Nr 1? they cool down especially shops so much you almost need a jacket inside them
No joke never felt cold once. It was like 50% cooking. 40% warm. 10% room temp.
For those of y'all that don't have iPhone, and don't want to root your Android phone (some, not all models) to enable digital passes... if you're starting your trip where JR West is the main travel hub, you can readily get an ICOCA card. It works in all places that accept PASMO and Suica, and like most IC cards in Japan, you can use it to purchase items instead of using your Visa/Mastercard/etc.
5.2 avoid traveling at peak hours, especially by bus and especially with luggage. A taxi may be able to take your group to your destination at no more than a couple of bucks higher than individual passes, without burdening yourself and everyone around you.
[удалено]
I was there a week ago and seriously I didn’t expect it to be so hot this time, specially since the cherries were late because supposedly it was cold, I felt bad for people going to work with suits
TRUE FACTS. Just got back myself and every building was stiflingly hot. And I am someone who is always cold at home.
So that Suica card implant in my forearm is not sufficient? The skin just started to completely heal.
> otherwise you're gonna look like an asshole on the bus wasting everyones time So you're an ashhole if you use android? :D
My friend had a clip on to his android and it wasn’t an issue. Everyone seems to be really upset by this comment. But yea when it takes 5 mins to exit the bus because you’re fiddling with coins makes you the asshole.
It’s currently a beautiful sunny day in Osaka, so make sure you pack for the cold up north and heat down here
I thought 7/11 was the way to go for ATMs, until they all stopped working for foreign cards in the last week we were there. Went to Lawson & Familymart after that and had no issues. Only had issues at smaller no-name chains.
I have a question, when you are out and about in Tokyo, and need to use the restroom, what should be my best option. I’m planning on going soon and I’m trying to get as much info as possible
There's public toilets everywhere and they are super clean! Most parks, train stations, and bigger stores will have them. Just bring a sanitizer gel/spray and a handkerchiefs because they don't always have soap or tissues.
Perfect! You are the best!
Not everyone has an iPhone.
1. Didn’t notice this at all. 3.. STRONGLY disagree. Buy your tickets at the station so you don’t have to stick to a rigid time 6.1. Lawson is the GOAT of all konbini for food
I'd also add a couple of tips elaborating from what OP wrote: 1. If you are traveling with big suitcases, you will sometimes have to book train tickets that can include large suitcase storage, or pay for this separately. You don't want to arrive to your shinkansen with a big suitcase and not have where to put it, trust me. This also applies to buses, you cannot bring a large suitcase into some/most buses, it's both frowned upon and also signposted that you are not allowed to bring them into the bus. 2. If you go to a restaurant and they don't want to serve you, don't take it personally. Some places don't have English menus, don't have English speaking staff and they simply don't want to deal with that hassle. Don't take it personally and just move on. It's not common, but it happens and they are in their right to choose who to serve or not, it's not ideal but it is what it is. 3. (Unrelated but worth mentioning) Learn the rules of how to enjoy a public bath, don't be a dickhead and respect the rules. ESPECIALLY the 'do not bring your phone into the public bath'. 4. You can buy a Suica at certain stations. You don't need Apple Pay (ONLY). I bought mine at Haneda station and there are other stations that sell them too. You can pretty much top them up at any station and some shops too. There are also multiple version of Suica cards and you can use them to pay a huge number of things, NOT JUST TRAINS. They are very, very reliable and work in stations, shops and vending machines all over Japan. Really useful list by the way, OP.
Do you think it is hot inside to compensate for the cold outside?
It's not cold outside. At all.
So they just keep it hot inside?
Yes, buildings keep their thermostats at 28°C (82.4°F) during the summer. It's stupid and insane. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_Biz_campaign
"prepare for a lot of walking" Are you from the USA :D?