How much yen do I put on my Suica card?

The minimum amount to recharge is 1,000 Yen and only with cash. When you originally purchase your Suica Card, you can personalize it with your name (put your name on the card). You can allow the balance on your Suica Card to run down as you near the end of your trip, but the card doesn't expire for 10 years.



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I recommend starting with 1000-2500yen and than refilling it as you run low. The machines are always right in front of the platform, are in English, and incredibly easy to use. I found it a great way to use up small coins, and I never had to worry about having too much left on the card when I left Japan.

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As for how much to load…all depends on how much you spend, and how often do the places you are going accept IC payment. I usually load 10000 yen at a time and it would last me a good 2-4 days.

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You can check your balance (the amount left of the money you added by charging) at ticket vending machines, multifunctional ticket vending machines and charging machines in the Suica area. Your balance is also displayed on the ticket gate when you pass through.

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Each IC card costs 500 yen, which is nonrefundable, so if you are going to be purchasing a card for the first time, you should put at least 2,000 yen on it. That way, you will have 1500 yen in travel money already on your card when it is finished.

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Each person needs one. Pasmo/Suica is read when touching the IC card reader upon entering and exiting a gate, and the correct fare is deducted from the card. The same card cannot be read entering twice at the same station. Thank you for the quick response.

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That being said, I would say you should bring enough cash so that you have at least 10,000 yen of spending money per day. This will be enough to cover any transportation fees and cash-only establishments you visit, provided you also have your debit/credit card to cover the rest of your expenses (e.g. accommodation).

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No visitor to Tokyo should be without a Suica card and no visitor to Japan should be without a JR Pass. The Suica card is convenient for intercity trains and buses while the JR Pass saves you time and money when traveling through the country. Here are the deets.

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Suica is the prepaid IC card by JR East for JR trains in the Greater Tokyo, Niigata and Sendai regions. A special version of Suica, called Welcome Suica, is available to foreign tourists. The special cards are valid for only four weeks, come without a deposit fee, but do not allow for refunds.

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Where to buy a My Suica card? You can purchase a “My Suica” at any JR East station ticketing machine or booth, including the ones located at Narita and Haneda airport. You can also buy it at some tourist information centers.

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There is no such thing as a negative balance. If the fare exceeds your balance, and you try to pass a ticket gate, the gate will close and sound an alarm.

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A Pasmo card is the same as a Suica. You can use it for trains, subways and metro stations and some buses. It is also a tap on card. You can purchase a Pasmo at most stations ( including subway stations) at a vending machine by tapping ENGLISH on the machine and following the instructions provided.

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That's certainly a comfortable budget as long as you aren't expecting to eat many fancy meals or do a lot of drinking or clubbing. You can probably save some money with strategic use of transit passes (see summaries on Japan Guide or elsewhere). You should look into the Grutto Pass.

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