Do you have that card, “Suica”?? This is the IC card which you can pay mainly for train and bus fare and served by Japan Railway. You can through the gate by only letting the card touch. If you have been in Tokyo or Osaka, I guess you may use it when you move by train and subway. This system which people in Akita had waited for more than 10 years FINALLY was introduced this May!!
Since then, “Akica” which is the Akita version of Suica released by the bus company is getting popular for users of transportation. On the bus, we can use not only IC cards but also ApplePay if you installed the application of Suica. It made my Akita life more convenient because I don’t need to exchange cash caring about moving the bus…!! Actually paying by cash is already troublesome for me because I lived in Tokyo and Kobe for a long time. I think travelers and business people from other cities also agree with me.
In addition, we can use it when we get on the trains. However, we have to pay attention because the area we can use is limited…!!
The available area is inside the red line. If you get over the station outside the available area, you cannot use the IC card. We need to check the area before through the gate. But according to JR, it seems they will aim to expand the available area in the future. I hope it will come true soon!!
