Transport cards in Taiwan and Japan: the one thing to buy first

In both Taiwan and Japan, the most useful thing to buy after you land is not a SIM card or a rail pass. It is a stored-value transport card. You tap it at the gates, top it up with cash at machines or stores, and stop thinking about tickets.

Taiwan: EasyCard and iPASS

The two main cards are EasyCard (悠遊卡) and iPASS (一卡通). Both work on the Taipei and Kaohsiung metro systems, on city buses in most places, on many Taiwan Railway trains, on public bikes, and at convenience stores. You can buy them at MRT stations and in convenience stores, and they come in many designs.

A few local rules:

• No eating or drinking inside the MRT paid area, including water and chewing gum. Fines are real.
• Stand on the right on escalators in Taipei, leaving the left for people walking.
• Queue in the lines painted on the platform, and let passengers off first.

Japan: Suica, PASMO, ICOCA and friends

Japan has several regional IC cards: Suica and PASMO around Tokyo, ICOCA around Osaka and Kyoto, and others elsewhere. The good news is that the major ones work across each other's areas for most trains, subways and buses, so one card covers most trips in big cities. They also work in convenience stores, vending machines and many shops.

On some phones, these cards can also be added to a mobile wallet, which lets you top up without finding a machine.

What a card does not cover

• Reserved seats on long-distance trains, such as the high-speed rail in Taiwan or the shinkansen in Japan, need a separate ticket.
• Some rural buses and small railways still take cash only.
• Rail passes may be cheaper for long trips; compare before you buy.

Keep a small amount of cash anyway. And when you leave, check whether your card can be refunded or simply keep it for next time.

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Photos: marcellinusjerricho, mailtotobi, fishopen770 on Pixabay, used under the Pixabay Content License. These are not my photographs.