Japan transit card shortage leaves foreign tourists scrambling

TOKYO -- Many foreign tourists in Japan have been left in the lurch due to a yearlong shortage of transit cards issued by railway operators, technology that is considered vital to navigating the country's vast railway system.

Contactless transit cards with integrated circuit (IC) chips like East Japan Railway's Suica and Pasmo, whose namesake operator is owned by the Tokyo metropolitan area's private railway companies, can be used on transportation systems across Japan.