Source
r/JapanTravelTips•
TrackerNineEight

Tokyo IC card shortage update: JR East apparently resume selling Suica cards at major Tokyo stations.

Advice

So after suspending sales of Welcome Suica at Narita Airport several days, JR East have recently updated the notice on their English website to say the following:

From December 18th, Welcome Suica will only be sold at Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station on Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Line. Please note that IC cards will not be sold at Narita Airport. If you wish to purchase an IC card after December 11th, please purchase Suica at JR EAST Travel Service Center Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, or Ueno. Sales at JR EAST Travel Service Center Tokyo will start from December 13th. In principle, only one Welcome Suica and Suica will be sold per person. Welcome Suica and Suica may be sold out. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

It's not 100% clear, but from the wording it seems like they're selling the regular, permanent version of Suica instead of the 28-day Welcome Suica, maybe we're seeing a quiet phase-out of the tourist cards?

Also, it sounds like they're enforcing a 1 card per person policy, possibly to stop resellers from buying in bulk, so if you're buying them for a group it might be a good idea to have everyone present.

Hopefully this is the light at the end of the tunnel for the whole card shortage.

Posted Dec 17, 2023, 7:57 PM UTC

6734
Kidlike101•

This card chip shortage makes no sense when they print out one month disposable ones to replace 10 year usage ones.

18
T_47•

The disposable ones are overstock from the Olympics that never happened. They've recently limited sales of the disposable ones presumably because they're running low on their ovestock now.

24
Kidlike101•

And yet this shortage is only Suica and pasma, the ones in tokyo. All the other IC cards are still there. Maybe they were just trying to get rid of the surplus then...

7
T_47•

iirc, Suica and Pasmo sales make up more than half of all IC card sales in Japan. The demand for the other ones is much less.

15
dokool•

That's largely a result of most tourists buying Suica/Pasmo because they're arriving in Tokyo, no?

Like, if they were to start sending stockpiles of ICOCA, SUGOCA, Kitaca etc. to Narita and Haneda Airport, they'd sell out much faster than they are currently doing in their service area.

2
Barbed_Dildo•

I'm pretty sure the Olympics did eventually happen.

-6
T_47•

There were no tourists allowed.

11
T_47•

There were no tourists allowed.

1
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6
lavenderc•

Is the Shinjuku Travel Center in Shinjuku station?

1
[deleted]•

[removed]

1
TooPowerfulWings•

Can you still get Pasmo passport at Narita?

5
sy1212•

Im touching down at Narita too, wonder which IC card is best to get

2
Starry_Kitchen•

Just got here today. You can, but the line in I think terminal 1 was crazy long (maybe a 45-60 min wait). I just opted to get into Tokyo and traversed the maze that is Shinjuku Station (which I never learn or can figure out even after traveling here multiple times), and bought it from the Tokyo Metro ticket office there.

2
sy1212•

Hi, how did you get from Narita to Shinjuku? How did you deal without the base pass?

2
Bobb_o•

You can buy paper tickets for any train journey. IC cards are just more convenient.

2
T_47•

Well we're already past the 11th. Anyone have experience with this? Someone currently in Tokyo can confirm this.

3
JapanSouth•

I got mine at the center in Shinjuku and one for my friend

2
ConferenceStock3455•

A normal suica/pasmo or a 28 day one?

2
JapanSouth•

Yes a normal green one

1
DexterYeah56•

how long was the wait? I only have one free day tp travel to all my shopping destinations

2
Kazelim•

Where in Shinjuku can I get it? I couldn't find the option in any of the machines. There's a sign at JR EAST travel center saying they don't sell it.

2
Typical_Analysis3938•

In the blak machines?

1
JapanSouth•

You have to go up to a person in the travel center itself and get it. Anywhere else will not even be aware they are back in stock and the machines don’t have them yet either as far as I know

1
Chameleonize•

We just landed in haneda Saturday 12/16 and could not buy a card. I was able to get a mobile version but my husband is still struggling to figure out how to get one.

3
ringgitmoon•

You can go to Tokyo Station and get a Toica card. I landed and got mine on Saturday.

9
Ludensdream•

Those are the same as Suica? and can use everywhere yes? like 711?

2
SofaAssassin•

For the most part, yes. The differences between them for tourists are immaterial.

3
ringgitmoon•

Yes they work exactly the same. Even reloading (or as they say it here 'recharging') Toica is the same as you would do for Suica or Passmo.

2
Ludensdream•

Okay hmm if I were traveling to Nagoya.. I'm assuming the toica card wouldnt work there?

1
BoboBublz•

If your husband uses an android phone purchased outside of Japan, or an iPhone older than the 8, his phone will not have the chip to do mobile

Good luck and have fun y'all!

1
dmitryaus•

Can I use an IC card to get from Narita Airport to Kinshicho via JR Narita Line?

2
gdore15•

Yes,

You would not be able to take one of the limited express (JR N'EX or Keisei Skyliner) as those require a limited express ticket with seat reservation. But going to Kinshicho direct via the Narita line would be a local or rapid train.

2
dmitryaus•

Thanks for advice

1
lean7800•

Do welcome suica cards still expire after 28 days? I checked the back of mine and it says the card is good until 2028

2
SofaAssassin•

Welcome Suica cards expire 28 days after activation. The chip in it was probably 'rated' for 2028.

2
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[removed]

1