Suica facts for kids

How to use a Suica card at a train gate

Suica is a special electronic card used in Japan, especially in Tokyo. It helps people pay for things easily and quickly. You can use it to ride trains and buses, and even buy snacks at convenience stores. It's like having digital money on a card!

You don't need to count coins or swipe a card. Just hold your Suica card over a special reader. The money is taken off or added to your card electronically. This makes paying much faster than using cash or older magnetic cards.

How Suica Works

Suica cards use a cool technology called RFID. This stands for Radio-Frequency Identification. It means the card can talk to a reader using radio waves. Inside every Suica card is a tiny computer chip. This chip is called FeliCa and was made by Sony.

Paying for Travel

When you go through a train gate, you just tap your Suica card on the reader. The gate opens, and the correct fare is taken from your card. It's super fast! You can also use Suica on many buses. This makes getting around cities like Tokyo very simple.

Shopping with Suica

Suica isn't just for travel. You can use it to buy things at many places. This includes convenience stores, vending machines, and even some restaurants. Look for the Suica logo at the checkout. It's a handy way to pay without needing your wallet.

Adding Money to Your Suica

When your Suica card runs low on money, you can easily add more. You can do this at ticket machines in train stations. Some convenience stores also let you add money. It's called "charging" your card.

Suica and Other Cards

Suica is one of the most popular smart cards in Japan. There are other similar cards too, like Pasmo. These cards often work together. This means you can usually use your Suica card in areas where Pasmo is common, and vice-versa. This makes travel across different regions very convenient.

Images for kids

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  Ticket gates at a JR East station: The center lane is exclusive for Suica, but other lanes also accept Suica.

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  An automatic Suica reader at a station not equipped with regular ticket gates

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  Keyless locker system for Suica and Pasmo in Shibuya Station

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  NEC's LaVie notebook PC showing an integrated FeliCa Port to the right of the image, used for Internet payment with cards such as Suica and Pasmo