TOKYO — East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) and other transportation companies announced on Aug. 20 they would resume personalized IC card sales on Sept. 1 after a long suspension caused by a semiconductor shortage.

Sales of the Suica and Pasmo transportation IC cards have been suspended since August 2023 due to a lack of IC chips. Suica cards and their cousins are used to pay train and bus fares, but can also be used to make purchases at many shops including convenience stores in train stations. The companies stated, “The supply of semiconductors has recovered, and we expect to be able to continue supplying them (the cards) in the future.”

Currently, only a limited number of cards such as commuter passes continue to be sold. Personalized cards are linked to personal information, so they can be suspended or reissued if lost. Sales of non-personalized cards will remain halted, as there is a high possibility of inventory shortages.

The companies also stated that if securing sufficient stock for commuter passes or reissuing lost cards becomes difficult, they may suspend sales again.

(Japanese original by Kazuki Sakuma, Tokyo Business News Department)