The Green Cars are first-class cars found on bullet trains and on certain long-distance local trains operated by JR. To buy a Green Car ticket for a bullet train, simply select the Green Car option when you buy your ticket at the automated kiosk, and you're set.

Buying Green Car tickets for local trains is a little more complicated, though.

First, before you go through the ticket gates, make sure that you have at least an extra 1000 yen on your Suica Card beyond what you need for the base fare for your journey (you NEED a Suica Card. For more about Suica Cards, go HERE.)

Next, tap your Suica on the ticket gate sensor as you would normally.

Go to the platform where your train departs, and look for the little green shamrock symbol indicating the place where the Green Car will stop.

Nearby, you should see an illuminated automated ticket kiosk with a sign on it reading, "Green Car Ticket for Suica."

Place your Suica Card on the sensor in the kiosk, select "English" for your language, then select your departure and arrival stations. The Green Car fare will be deducted from your Suica Card automatically, and Green Car privileges will be activated within the section of line you have specified.

For trips of less than 50km, Suica Green Car fare is an additional 530 yen on top of the base fare for weekdays. It's a little more on weekends and holidays, and for trips of more than 50km, but if you're a claustrophobic and hate crowds, the Green Car is definitely worth the money! Green Car fare can also be paid once you get on the train, but it's a lot more expensive, so putting money on your Suica Card in advance is definitely the best way.

Boarding Green Cars is easy. Green Cars look different from normal train cars. They pull up to designated spots on the platform (marked by the shamrocks), and while regular train cars are a single story, most Green Cars are double-decker. If you have a Green Car pass ready on your Suica, just hop right on!

If it's your first time in a Green Car, you might be shocked. Regular train cars usually have seats arrayed in two parallel lines along the outside walls of the train, facing inward. The cars are designed this way so as to accommodate the maximum possible number of standing commuters during rush hour. Rush hour trains are horrendously crowded and are more or less Hell, especially for female travelers. Sexual harassment on trains remains a serious problem and many trains in the Tokyo area don't even provide women-only cars. However, Green Cars, due to their design, can offer a safer space. Green Cars are set up like standard long-distance train cars - that is to say, they have rows of plus seats, two on each side, all facing forward. The seats are big and comfortable, and there's a lot of leg room. When you board the Green Car, you can choose any seat you like - any of the seats at the ends, or any of the seats on the upper or lower decks (so long as someone isn't already sitting in them). Unclaimed seats all have red lights above them. To claim the seat as yours, simply tap your Suica Card on the sensor next to the red light. The light will turn green, and the seat is now yours! If you wish to change seats, just tap your Suica Card again to turn the light back to red, then select a new seat, tap your Suica Card on that one instead, and bam, you've enacted a perfect Green Car seat switcheroo.

Beyond the quiet, the legroom, and the lack of crowds, the Green Cars also offer a food and beverage service. You can buy snacks, soft drinks, and even beer! Who knew that such a tranquil paradise existed within the madness of the Tokyo transit system? Once you go Green, it can't be unseen!

One warning, though - Green Cars are very popular with the type of businessmen who like to get drunk on trains. If you ride a Green Car, it's very possible that you'll end up sharing it with at least one drunk-ass old man in a suit who stinks of beer. The good thing is that the seats are large enough that you'll probably be able to stay far away enough from him that he won't be able to vomit on you or grab your butt. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for regular commuter cars. Therefore, if you have a little extra cash, the Green Car is definitely worth it. You can even ride the Sobu Line Green Cars to and from Narita Airport for less than half of what you'd pay for the Narita Express (it takes about 20 minutes longer, but whatevs). Sadly, Green Cars are not available on all trains, only the long distance ones. But long distance is where the Green Car counts the most.

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