Steve Weagant

That will work. Thank you

jamar

As an aside, there's one suburban station some people will want to keep in mind- Ogikubo. If you have an AmEx card from home and lose it while in Tokyo, AmEx Japan will issue you a replacement card that day if you report it before... noon-ish, and that's where you go to pick up your replacement card.

I remember because I lost my wallet the first time I went to Tokyo alone.

lobsterdog

When was that though? I thought they had closed their office years ago.

jamar

The last time I had to do it was last summer (I remember quite well because I only found out upon check-in at my hotel that I'd left my wallet on the plane and oh, boy that was a hassle) so if it closed, it wasn't "years ago".

Speaking of which, JAL were great about the left-behind wallet. Someone turned it in while the plane was on its way to ITM, they quickly sent it back on the next morning's ITM-NRT flight and it was waiting for me when I checked in for my flight home from NRT. Meanwhile AmEx (and my Mobile Suica) got me by until I got my wallet back.

abmj-jr

Not trying to slam anyone or cause embarrassment but am genuinely curious. How does it happen that one can leave his/her wallet on a plane on an international flight?

jamar

It was domestic. This trip wasn't the one I'd mentioned earlier in another thread; it was HIJ-HND(overnight)NRT-YVR. I didn't notice because unlike most tourists, I have Mobile Suica on my phone, and that was how I paid for pretty much everything between HND and my hotel- train fare, snacks, drinks, some shopping, and when my balance ran low I just tapped the "quick reload" button and it pulled funds from the card I'd linked before.

Having Mobile Suica made it too easy, else I'd have noticed my missing wallet much earlier, like when I tried to board the train leaving HND (I keep all cards in my wallet, so I would've noticed then) or at Shinagawa, where my Suica ran low, because you need cash to reload a regular Suica, and all my cash was in my wallet.

invisible

Is it possible for non-Japanese resident to get Mobile Suica on phone?

jamar

Yes, it is. There are only two things you need to set up Mobile Suica:

1. Japanese Play Store account

2. FeliCa-enabled phone

I have both without residence in Japan. Before smartphones (and still these days with regular keitai), the big hurdle was that the application refused to activate without a Japanese SIM inserted in the phone. With the smartphone app, this is no longer the case; so long as you're using a Japan-market phone you can set one up.

In the early days of the smartphone app, they also allowed credit cards from anywhere to be used for Mobile Suica reload so long as you paid the 1000 yen annual fee. Something changed last year and now the only foreign cards they allow are AmEx and JCB.

Vidic15

I have a suica card from a previous Tokyo trip. I've been told I can use it in Osaka on both JR/Non JR lines, but does this also include the Nankai Airport train from Namba?

invisible

I would assume that for 1 - it is Google Play for Japan. Which phones would fit for #2? Any NFC phone would work?

Hm, ability to top up with foreign card would be a major plus sign...

jamar

Yes you can, just make sure you buy the separate express fare ticket from the vending machine if you're taking the rapi:t.

Yes to the first, unfortunately not to #2. It has to be a Japanese-market phone with the FeliCa function specifically, the app doesn't work with standard NFC yet. I like to think they'll make it happen in time for the 2020 Olympics, but even if they do, that's a long way off.

It is, it's just unfortunate that they limit it to AmEx and JCB now.

Steve Weagant

There is an app in the iPhone store. I downloaded it but it was in Japanese. I wasn't able to switch it to English. And I don't have FeliCa.

jamar

If it's this app, it only adds money to an existing Suica card. Also, from the iTunes store page:

The iPhone app is no good for non-residents (and even a good chunk of residents; not everyone in Japan wants credit cards) because it requires you have the JR East credit card to function (on the app that functions on more phones internationally? Really, JR East?). The Android app lets you use any Japan-issued Visa or MasterCard or any AmEx or JCB card- so long as your phone supports FeliCa.