JR is urging people to be careful about the specially designed Suica cards sold about 10 years ago to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Tokyo Station’s opening, as unused cards will expire at the end of this month.
The commemorative Suica card features the words “100 years” inscribed on the station’s iconic red brick building. Many people probably have one. And it’s no surprise. A total of 4.27 million cards have been issued. On the day of release in 2014, huge crowds flocked to the card shops. Initially, only 15,000 commemorative Suica cards were released. As a result, 9,000 people from all over the country flocked to the card shops, causing chaos in front of the station. JR East responded by opening sales an hour earlier.
However, the chaos did not subside, and they abruptly halted sales after selling approximately 8,000 cards. Customers then flocked to the sales floor, destroying the carefully prepared model of Tokyo Station. JR then offered pre-orders to all those who wanted one, and over the course of about two years, they sent out the “commemorative Suica.” At the time, those who were able to purchase the “commemorative Suica”—a limit of three per person—said: “I’ll keep one for myself and give two as gifts.” “I really think it’s a wonderful thing. I’ll keep one at home and give one to each of my grandchildren.”
If unused, it will expire at the end of this month. However, your carefully stored commemorative Suica may expire at the end of this month. It will expire if it has never been used since purchase. Suica cards expire if they have not been used for 10 years.
Commemorative Suica cards have been sold in several installments since December 2014. Therefore, JR East decided to have all of them “expire” on March 31st of this year.
Social media users have expressed concerns, saying things like, “I bought it and never used it, but I wonder where I put it,” and “I found it while tidying up. I need to charge it.”
According to JR East, of the 4.27 million cards sold, approximately 2.5 million are “unused.” (As of the end of March 2024) Each card is charged with 1,500 yen, bringing the total to 3.75 billion yen. To prevent your commemorative Suica from expiring, you must use public transport, shop, and charge it. If you use it at least once this month, the expiration date will be extended by 10 years. If it expires, you can claim it at a station or other location and the remaining balance and deposit will be refunded, but please note that the commemorative Suica will be collected.
