[ranma42]

> Since there's no point in generating keys for a device which will not be used in Japan, non-Japan SKUs don't have Osaifu-Keitai functionality. So even if you rooted your phone and had full access to the secure element, if your phone's secure element doesn't have the key, you can't use it as an IC card.

At least in some cases it is sufficient to change the phone SKU id (which requires temporary rooting) to the Japan SKU id to unlock the Osaifu-Keitai functionality on a non-Japan phone. I'm not sure if this means that the secure element had the necessary keys provisioned all along, or just that the Osaifu-Keitai app then provisions it on first use.

[dadadad100]

I believe it is the case that US (at least) iPhones work as IC cards in Japan

Source - I’m sitting in Kyoto right now having travelled all over Tokyo and then on to Kyoto using only my phone to interact with Japan Rail. Verified with two 16Es and a 12. In fact we were able to add the Suica cards to our phones and charge them fromApplePay while still stateside. That let us skip the Welcome Suica line at Haneda and go straight to the monorail. Highly recommended

[lxgr]

A broadly supported tap-to-pay fare system is such an underrated accessibility win for public transit when traveling.

Many tourists already get intimidated by language barriers and inscrutable timetables and transit routes; add tariff complexity (and the chance of getting charged with fare evasion!), and many just end up taking a taxi.

With these stored-value systems, you pretty much don't have to ever worry about doing anything wrong as long as you properly tapped in (and have the necessary cash to top up the card at the exit turnstile if you ended up "overdrafting" your card).

Now the remaining complexity is learning about and getting the card in the first place, and Apple Wallet really does an amazing job there in Japan. Not even having to install an app or create any account is absolutely amazing.

[wahnfrieden]

You can now make cards and top up from inside Apple Wallet (even with a non Japanese phone or account)

[lxgr]

Yes, it's great! My point is that Apple's implementation solves all these challenges, sorry if that wasn't clear.

[dwood_dev]

Not sure if it's still the case, but last year I could only top up with my AmericanExpress in Apple Wallet. Neither Visa nor MasterCard worked. This was a widespread issue at the time.

[cosmic_cheese]

FWIW I reloaded the Suica on my iPhone a few times in the past 2-3 weeks using my Apple Card (Mastercard) as the funding source and it worked fine.

[lxgr]

I had no issues with either Visa or Mastercard last year, but I believe I went just after that issue was resolved.

[cosmic_cheese]

Yes, all iPhones and Apple Watches carry the functionality regardless of where you buy them, which has been wonderful for me. The fact that the iOS Wallet app can generate these cards as needed and reload them without a third party app is a cherry on top — so nice to for once get a standardized UI instead of having to deal with some half baked transit service app.

[notpushkin]

I believe Google is trying to do that with their Wallet/Pay/Wallet app, but I guess it doesn’t support FeliCa yet? They do support some weird card formats, so I guess they have at least some flexibility there – no idea why they can’t add it, too.