e-money

Back in the day, a journey on any of Japan’s rail lines meant you might need a degree in Japanese cartography and computer science to figure out how to use the ticketing machines found in every station at that time. The old routine went like this: Walk into the station and look at the gigantic map plastered above the machines. Find your destination station on the said map and remember the price next to the station. Next, walk over to the ticket machine and push the button, pull a lever, touch a screen (depending on the age of said machine) with that price you memorized from before (or double-take the map like I almost always did). Shove coins/bills into the machine and grab the ticket, head to the gates and stick it into the slot and grab the ticket back from the other side…. Better not lose it, or else you’re paying whatever the highest possible fare is on that line when you get to your stop! Nowadays, IC fare cards like Suica and Pasmo came along and ended that foolishness. Just charge up your card with yen and tap, tap, tap your way around town without stopping. So what’s…