RResidents in Japan

No Suica cards available, No Suica for Android

I moved to Japan a week ago and I’m looking for an easier way to pay for my subway and bus rides.

I was going to buy a Suica card but due to the chip shortage, they are unavailable.

Then I was going to get the Suica app on my phone, but it’s an Android bought overseas so that won’t work.

Is there anything I can do? My phone is quite new so I don’t want to buy a new one. I saw Youtubers saying that you can still buy registered Suica cards but I’ve looked for that option on the ticket terminals at several stations and that option isn’t there (maybe I need to look at a bigger station.)

EDIT:

I went with the Welcome Suica card for 0 JPY. (Of course I still have to charge it with money for using public transport.)
The only downside is that it’s only available at the airports (I went to Haneda) and that it expires after 28 days.

33 comments

  1. I think you can still get Suica as 定期券. Try going to a station with みどりの窓口 as they can help you with the process.

  2. You cannot buy registered Suica from a vending machine.

    You can only get a new Suica by buying a Commuter pass.

    Alternatively, you could buy a Pixel Watch, a Garmin, or one of the other Android compatible watches that have Suica built in.

  4. There are other cards you could use, e.g. Icoca. But now I am not sure whether it is not issued in Kansai only

  7. You can make a second Google account that’s set in Japan. Changing to this profile in the Google Play store, you can download Japan only apps. That’s how I do it and it works just fine.

  8. Have the same issue I just had to buy a card online, sadly. It’s extortionate but better than having to stop and get tickets for every single transfer, had to do it for going over 3 different train lines and that was my breaking point lolol

  10. is mobile Pasmo an option for you? there’s a Pasmo for Android app that you can charge from the first time using cash at the station (provided the station has machines that can charge something other than cards, may be limited to larger/metropolitan stations only).

  11. Man I must have 10 extra Suica cards from when friends visit. Be nice if there was an easy way to pass them I to people who need them (I’m aware you can return them and get 500 yen back, I’m just lazy to do that).

  12. No Pasmo either? You might jst have to wait unless you have friends on country sides where they use some sort of Suica equivalent that may be still available.

  13. I see that you’re going to buy commuter pass to obtain one. But that usually will cost you more than you might need. You can buy used ones on mercari, or maybe ask around people you know, or local facebook group for your area.

  14. If you’re really desperate and don’t need a commuter’s pass:

    * Get a TOICA from the JR Central ticket counter at Tokyo Station

    * Sign up for Rakuten Mobile and buy a Rakuten Hand for 1 yen → should be compatible with Mobile Suica/PASMO

  15. Welcome tourist suica cards being sold at the airport with 30 days expiration. Left my suica and icoca cards in California by mistake. Works in a pinch, but any extra balance at the end, gets lost.

  16. If you’re desperate and can be in Shinjuku station around 3PM, I have 4 in my office that I _think_ should still work – you can have one for cost (¥500).

  18. Lost mine before coming back and I’m also retarded. So what I do is called a ticket.

  19. >I saw Youtubers saying that you can still buy registered Suica

    At first yes, but they stopped selling those ones as well.

    Just get yourself an ICOCA or toICa or any of the other IC cards.

  20. Just because they are not selling be unregistered Suica cards view vending machines at this very moment doesn’t mean you can’t get one at all.

    There are a lot of people who buy a new card every time they forget their card, so removing the cards from ready access they cut down on that – which makes sense if they were trying to overcome a shortage.

    The press releases from JR specifically state that cards for tourists, etc. Will still be available at the airport or station officers.

  21. Complain to Google. Loudly, publicly, on Twitter. Bonus points if you insinuate that you’re going to leave for Apple.

    This won’t get fixed without more awareness of the issue.

  22. My family is visiting next month and I seriously didn’t want the hassle of buying tickets to get around. So I found some IC cards on yahoo auctions. they’ll come at a premium I must admit.

  26. My parents came to japan recently and I ended up just buying them some sugoca cards off Mercari for about ¥1100 each.

  28. I have a couple Suica cards my parents used when they came to visit.What’s the going rate on the black market for these things?

  29. Do they still sell other IC cards for example Kitaca? And can I use it outside of Hokkaido?

  32. I have three pasmo cards ( I lose cards all the time and buy new ones then find) if you are still looking I can send one of them via mail free of charge. I just happened to find them because I’m cleaning my house now and was gonna return them to station next week!

  33. New member here after 20 plus years in Japan! I have finally joined reddit.

    I got a garmin smartwatch when prime day was on for only 14,000 yen and it does suica no problems

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