This is decent advice especially if you don't care if you load it with a credit card or cash. I'm the OP and I also advise friends who aren't regular visitors & not into points to get a regular suica/pasmo/icoca IC card. Heck, I lend the them one of my un-named spares with some yen on it to get them started.

Suica format doesn't make a large difference for the first time guest going between core Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. The card is a 500 yen deposit and some banks don't reimburse ATM fees so it might cost a bit more to load it with cash. You probably won't want to join any loyalty clubs like ponta or JRE Points as bothering over a few hundred yen return on combini purchases isn't really worth your while. Just don't lose it or you still might be spending half a day rather frustrated (see post 38 3 day pass for Tokyo subway... Help) No worries if you drop it either as long as it isn't into a used washlet or storm drain.

For those who like trying to go cashless and want the points from the Suica top-ups but don't need the other JP functions, JR East released an English version of the app https://atadistance.net/2019/03/24/t...a-english-app/ as [MENTION=792105]rustykettel[/MENTION] mentioned. This is also useful if you tend to lose cards but not your phone. Or JR Passes - get a lanyard or two Wallet / Holder for JR Pass. In a similar vein, though, always keep some cash yen as you might end up in a place where they don't take IC or credit card (or cc is down/not going through). About half of JR East's stations took Suica in 2018 and the others do not https://atadistance.net/2019/02/13/suica-simplified/ so cash is still useful when roaming the combini sparse countryside where the only international enabled ATM is probably at the tiny JP Post open during countryside hours. The cash-is-king caveat is JR East seat reservation machines started going cashless earlier this year https://atadistance.net/2019/01/24/j...oing-cashless/