Suica Helps You Travel In Tokyo Like A Pro

suica cards, a photo by cjw333 on Flickr.

I wish I had known about using a Suica Card the first time I visited Tokyo.  Not only can Suica get you a discount trip from the airport to town but they also make it much easier to get around on the JR East rail line across Tokyo and make purchases in shops and restaurants.

Suica Cards are the size of a credit card and are tapped on a reader to transfer funds for train tickets or purchases around town.  When you pick them up at the airport as part of the foreign tourist package, you'll get a discounted roundtrip to and from the city as well as a balance of funds on the card.  When you run low on funds can add more so the card can be used over and over.

Most convenience stores and some restaurants will accept Suica Cards for payments making it very easy to make purchases without having to fumble around with money.  This also cuts down on change in your pocket.  When riding a train on the JR line you'll no longer have to stand in front of a machine to try to figure out how much your next fare will be.  Just walk up to the gate, tap, wait for the pip pip and you're on your way.

Details on using Suica from Haneda

Details on using Suica from Narita

Shinagawa Prince Hotel

Shinagawa Prince Hotel

Shinagawa (品川) - Tokyo, Japan

Guerilla Flowerpots in Tokyo’s Public Spaces

Tokyo Wall Scene, originally uploaded by cjw333.

Guerrilla flowerpots in Tokyo are a quiet, beautiful form of urban rebellion—unexpected bursts of nature tucked into the city’s dense, concrete sprawl. These aren't part of official beautification projects, but rather the work of anonymous individuals or small groups who plant flowers, herbs, and even tiny gardens in public spaces where greenery isn’t typically found. You'll spot them in cracks in sidewalks, at the base of utility poles, on forgotten stairwells, or nestled beside vending machines—little acts of defiance against urban monotony.

In a city as meticulously organized as Tokyo, these humble pots and planters stand out not because they’re loud, but because they’re so gentle. They reflect a quiet love for the city and a desire to humanize the landscape, adding warmth and life where there was none. Some are playful—brightly painted or accompanied by tiny figurines—while others are simple and serene. They're part public art, part protest, and part care-taking, reminding everyone who walks by that even the smallest acts can shift the feeling of a place.

PingMag provides an overview of guerilla flowerpots in Tokyo, Japan

Can you find the BNE sticker?

A Walk From Shinagawa Station

This is a short video that I shot in Tokyo, Japan while walking from Shinagawa station to the McDonnalds in front of the Shinagawa Prince Hotel. The music is by Bulljun and from a CD that I bought while in Tokyo.

More info on Bulljunhere

3 drinks

3 drinks
Originally uploaded by cjw333.

taken near yoyogi park in tokyo, japan

tokyo rockabilly club

tokyo rockabilly club
Originally uploaded by cjw333.

tokyo rockabilly club
these guys twist the day away in tokyo's youogi park on the weekends
above is a picture that i took of them during a visit to tokyo in 2004

Tokyo Food Page

An excellent source of information with everything you want to know about food in Tokyo.

Tokyo Japan Tourist Guide

Tokyo Japan Tourist Guide