All trains in Japan use a ticket barrier system. How does this work? First, you buy a ticket, put it into the slot on the ticket barrier, the ticket barrier opens to let you through, and spits your ticket back out the other side. You take the ticket out of the ticket barrier and keep it with you till you arrive at your destination. To exit the station, you put your ticket into the slot in the ticket barrier at your destination. If the ticket contains the correct fare, you will be allowed to exit. If the ticket contains a lower fare than necessary, you will have add fare to the ticket before you can exit.

All train fare in Japan is calculated by distance. To foreigners who come from cities with relatively small light rail networks, Japanese train fares for longer distances can look expensive. We assure you, they are not! The rail networks in Japanese cities are much more extensive than those in many other countries, and as such, the distances are much longer. Given the distance traveled, Japanese train fare is actually much cheaper than train fare in many cities in other countries which use a flat fare for the entire city. Within Central Tokyo, for example, 190 yen is enough to get you clear across the Yamanote Line circle. Also, given the overall cleanliness, safety and punctuality of Japanese train service, you are definitely getting your money's worth here.

The Japanese ticket barrier system and the distance-based fare system are simple enough, and they exist in many other countries. However, Japanese trains can be tremendously confusing for foreigners, because in Japan, all trains are run by private or semi-private companies, and each train operator company requires a separate ticket with a separate fare. Within the Tokyo metropolitan area alone, there are more than TEN train operator companies: JR, Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, Odakyu, Keio, Tokyu, Seibu, Tobu, Keisei, Keikyu, and more! If your journey requires transferring between any two of these (and it probably will), buying a paper ticket means knowing how to calculate the right fare and how to buy a transfer ticket, or buying separate paper tickets for each leg of your journey. This is often difficult even for Japanese people. Don't bother with it! Paper tickets are ridiculously inefficient. Instead, almost every sane human in Japan uses something called an IC Card: a electronic card which can be used in lieu of a paper ticket, to travel on any train.

In Tokyo, the IC Card issued by JR is called the Suica Card. However, in other cities, IC Cards have different names. Even within Tokyo, there is a non-JR IC Card called a Pasmo. Don't be confused: all the IC Cards work the same way, everywhere in the entire country. To reiterate: ALL IC CARDS ARE FUNCTIONALLY THE SAME, Suica and Pasmo included. What this means is that you can get ANY IC card and use it anywhere in Japan. It doesn't have to be a Suica!

It used to be that Suica could only be used in the Tokyo metro area, ICoCa could only be used in the Kansai area, etc., but this is not true anymore. The train system is now completely nationalized. One card will get you anywhere you want to go. Unless you'll only be staying for a very short time, or don't plan on riding any trains, having an IC Card is a must for travel in Japan. And practically speaking, the only way you'll travel in Japan and avoid riding trains is if you've got a friend to drive you around. Taxis are prohibitively expensive and difficult for foreigners to use, and we don't recommend them except in case of emergency.

On the other hand, using the IC Card is as simple as can be. First, go to one of the automated ticket kiosks, set the language to English, insert your card, and hit "charge." A menu will be displayed offering different amounts of money which you can add to your card. Hit the button for whichever amount of money you prefer and insert your cash. A few seconds later, the machine will spit out your card, along with your change. Don't spend too much time fumbling with your wallet - have it open and ready, because, as an anti-theft measure, the machines will retract your change if you don't take it right away (if this happens, you'll need to talk to a station attendant to get your money back). Anyway, once you've charged your card, you can use it until the fare you added to it runs out, at which point you'll need to add more fare. How much fare you should add depends on how much you'll be traveling, but for typical day of sightseeing in a local metro area, 1000-2000 yen should be about as much as you'll need. Adding more fare at a single time makes things easier, because you don't have to charge your card as often. In addition to train tickets, IC cards can also be used to buy items at convenience stores in or near train stations, so you might want to add more fare to your card for this reason, as well.

Anyway, to enter the station, simply tap your IC card on the sensor on the top of the ticket gate. The ticket gate will open and register the station where you entered, and your time of entry. When you arrive at your destination, tap the IC Card again on the sensor as you exit the station, and it will deduct your fare automatically from the remaining balance on your card. As a bonus, the fare for IC Cards is slightly cheaper than the fare for paper tickets. IC Cards save you money! If it turns out that you don't have enough fare on your card to cover your journey - don't worry. Just go to one of the fare adjustment machines inside the ticket gates, and add the remaining value to your card before exiting the station.

So, how do you get an IC Card? It's just about as simple as using one. Find a JR ticket vending machine at any major station in the first city you visit on your trip. Change the language to English, and select the menu option for a new Suica or other card, then follow the instructions. When you first buy your IC card, you'll have to pay a deposit of 500 yen, but you can get this 500 yen back at the end of your trip if you return your card. In addition to the 500 yen deposit, you'll also pay as much money as you'd like to add to your card initially. We recommend starting out with 2000 or 3000 yen. Since cards in areas other than Tokyo have different names, if you're in a different area, the card you need won't be called Suica, it will be called something different. To check on the name of the card you'll need, refer to the graphic below.

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