Should you get a Suica or a JR Pass? 

I'm about to switch over for the same reason xD

Yes!

Glad I could be of some help! Hope you’re able to come on the planned date!

how about google pay?

It works with Google Pay as well. www.blog.google/products/google-pay/add-suica-and-waon-google-pay-japan/ The caveat is that it only works with certain android devices. I have a Huawei device and as far as I'm aware, it doesn't work with it.

Linking to the Apple wallet is super convenient. I can reload credit as I walk towards the gate or while on the train itself. However, I’m not sure if it’s possible to migrate my card and credit should I move to an Android phone.

@@wrblue08 Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Suica and Pasmo both have android apps now but they only support certain devices, so you'd have to confirm that. My Huawei Mate 10 Pro is not supported for anything NFC in Japan unfortunately. I bought this device in Japan too

Glad you found it useful :)

Ohhhh this is a good idea!

Glad you found it informative! Yeah, the point of it is to be able to retain thr balance if the card is lost I think. Otherwise you'd lose everything on it if you lost the card!

@@MasaTanahashi I will definitely consider having my name added to my card as well (if I am able to travel to Japan that is).....especially with my less than stellar track record. I lose track of things quite often.

I have all 3 including a Korea 😂

Yeah, the only difference is probably around apple pay compatibility. Definitely man. Let me know!

Masa Tanahashi which Sony are you shooting with for this one..🤔

This is with my Canon 80D haha. I don't own a sony

I would suggest laying out the places you want to go first and seeing what train lines are closest. You can't really make the cost comparison without knowing where you're going. But in general, JR pass won't be worth it unless you take the shinkansen twice.

suica and pasmo will work the same way for you. They serve the same purpose, just have different branding on them.

I haven't travelled to all stations so I can't say for certain, but the ic cards are usable at most stations. It's limited in the sense that some trains require an additional ticket. To ride the shinkansen, you need specific tickets. Any train with reserved seating you'd need to purchase an additional ticket. I haven't had any issues using my suica/pasmo in the greater Tokyo area or in the Kyoto area.

Canon 80D. Thank you!

A JR pass will work with all JR lines. You just show it to the people at the gates. You need an IC card or pay separately another way for non-JR train lines.

This is true. There are definitely exceptions. But for general travel, it's still pretty useful to have.

I'd check out a JR pass calculator to see if its cost effective for you. If you plan to take any non JR trains, a suica would just make life easier.

@@MasaTanahashi thank you so much! you're a life-saver

Hope you have a good trip!

You're probably right. I've gotten this question a number of times recently. One IC card is needed per passenger. Each card has a unique key to it so when its tapped in, it can't be tapped in again, only out.

Masa Tanahashi Thanks Masa. I guess all vloggers forgot to mention this situation. Almost 100% of vloggers, they only explain as individual IC users and nobody explain if you’re with your family especially if you’re traveling with babies or toddlers.

Yeah, I guess for me, it's just normal and I don't think much of it. But thinking back to nyc, I feel like you could repeat swipe metro cards. Might be remembering wrong though.

@@LarrieFromCA seems the vloggers dont travel with family or groups

Yes you can use it in different cities.

Masa Tanahashi thank you so much❤️

So, to clarify vocabulary "Tokyo Metro" is the name of a transit company that has a bunch of different train and subway lines. Japan Railways (JR) is another company that own a bunch of train lines. The JR Pass can be used as an unlimited ride ticket for all JR train lines. But you can't use it for Tokyo Metro or other company lines. JR Pass can be used for many, but not all shinkansen as well.

@@MasaTanahashi perfect. thank you!

@@KoriePrince No problem! Glad I could help clarify.

Yup. you can use and recharge in Tokyo trains.

The JR pass is priced for long-distance travel. In the order of 3000-5000 yen per day. Typical use in the city core would be around 400-1200 yen per day. Though going farther or being inefficient with train transfers will cost you more. And it does not work on the majority in Tokyo. It works on a few lines. One of them is a loop line, and much of the city was basically built around this loop line, so it still has quite good coverage despite the few lines it has. So if you have JR pass working while you're in Tokyo, it's often fairly effective. But due to pricing, you want to minimize the time you have it active in Tokyo- if you have it active in Tokyo region, it's time to go to Yokohama and Kamakura, maybe Hakone or Nikkou or Fuji. When it expires you can get ~500-800 yen per day pass for the NOT-JR subway, or just pay the 400-1200 yen you'd likely pay per day just using normally on whichever trains you like.

yeah please answer this.

I read that you can get a refund at the stations for the IC card deposit. You have to look for the manned kiosks.

It doesn't cost anything extra to put your name on it. It's a free addon.

@@MasaTanahashi ok thank you.

No problem. When are you visiting? I hope you have a good trip!

@@MasaTanahashi I am going to be there in first week of March (Tokyo). Wonder what the weather be like? Cold or warm? Any idea? Thank you :)

Awesome! First week of march is tricky. Maybe a bit chilly still, as February is a pretty cold month. But it rarely hits zero degrees at its coldest here in Tokyo!

If you look up JR Pass calculator, you'll be able to figure out if it'll be worth it for your trip! Everyone's case is different so you should look into it yourself. As for the suica/pasmo/icoca, if you're going to be taking anything other than JR lines, having an IC card is really nice.