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Japan travel, checked on the ground.

Written by Shin — 18 years in Tokyo. Prices carry the date I checked them.

Shin

I'm Shin. I'm Japanese, and I've lived in Tokyo for 18 years. I read the Japanese-language originals — fare tables, tax notices, operator announcements — and write what they actually say, not what a press release says they say. I've shown friends from seven countries around Japan, and I've travelled to more than twenty cities outside it, so I know what it's like to be the one who can't read the menu. What you'll find here: real prices with the date I checked them, honest comparisons that sometimes tell you not to buy, and the practical details that guidebooks skip.

Transportation Apps Travel Tips

Move Cash-Free Across All of Japan—With Just Your Phone, Even Before You Land

Quick answer: If you have an iPhone, set up Welcome Suica Mobile before you fly and you can skip the ticket machine entirely. If you have an Android bought outside Japan it probably will not work, because most lack the FeliCa chip this needs, and you want a physical card instead. Check which one you are carrying before you plan your transport around the app. See the Suica IC Card on Klook → Imagine stepping off the plane, skipping every ticket-machine line, and heading straight to ramen, because your iPhone is already your train ticket and your wallet.Welcome Suica Mobile ...