Select kinds of Pasmo and Suica smartcards used for public transportation and cashless payments in Japan were back on sale Sunday, in another sign semiconductor shortages that plagued supply chains in recent years have eased.
New "My Suica" and Pasmo cards bearing their owners' names can be bought again after being withdrawn from sale starting August 2023, amid difficulties procuring the chips inside them. Anonymous cards were suspended from sale in June 2023 and remain so due to risks that supplies could run out, East Japan Railway Co. said.
Suica and Pasmo cards are owned by JR East and Pasmo Co., respectively, and can be purchased for a deposit of 500 yen ($3.40) from train station ticket offices and some ticket machines. If charged with funds, they allow seamless travel across Japan's array of transportation networks.
The convenience of the cards has made them a sought-after item for visitors to Japan, and pre-paid cards are sold for several times their 500-yen deposit cost on online reselling websites.
Amid the shortages, inbound tourists have been able to purchase nonrefundable "Welcome Suica" cards that last for 28 days at select locations. Their availability expanded from Sunday, and they are now purchasable from rail hubs including major Tokyo train stations such as Ueno, Shibuya and Shinjuku.
While some physical cards have been unavailable, digital mobile cards remained on sale. They have grown in prominence in recent years since being introduced in 2006, with JR East issuing its 20 millionth digital card in March 2023.
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