JR East (Tokyo) commuter pass

Hello everyone,

I have a question concerning the usage of a JR commuter pass on the Yamanote-sen in Tokyo.

I am planning to stay for one month in Tokyo. For this it wouldn't make much sense to buy a JR Rail Pass (would be 3 weeks max. anyway & since I won't travel outside of Tokyo much it would be too expensive). So I wonder if I could do something like this:

http://www.hyperdia.com/en/cgi/en/search.html?dep_node=OTSUKA&arv_node...

i.e. buying a 1 month JR commuter pass from Otsuka to Osaki. Theoretically this should cover the entire Yamanote loop, correct?

What is not clear to me: Provided that I only use the Yamanote: Am I allowed to use both directions (inner/outer loop) or only one direction? Or would I actually need 2 separate SUICAs for both directions.

Too bad that I can't check this out while being outside of Japan. I simply wonder which choices the ticket machine would give me if I entered that route.

Sorry if this is a bit complicated ;)

Thanks in advance!

The validity of a commuter pass, like all other tickets, is defined not only by the two limit stations, but also by the route between them. If you buy a commuter pass between Otsuka and Osaki, you will have to choose the inner or outer loop route, and your pass will only be valid on that route.

Thanks, that's what I also guessed. Otherwise it would have been a suspiciously cheep option ;) So I have to figure out which route(s) would make most sense for my stay.

The validity of a commuter pass, like all other tickets, is defined not only by the two limit stations, but also by the route between them.

That is not like "all other" tickets.
While a commuter pass is usually valid for one specified route, it is common among many railroad operators across Japan that they issue a short-distance normal basic-fare ticket with no route specified.

would I actually need 2 separate SUICAs for both directions.

No, you don't need two Suica Cards.
You can load your JR commuter pass (valid for one specified route) on a Suica Card; when you travel with this Suica Card to a station outside the specified route, payment of the fare for the outside section is settled by Suica, as long as the amount of the stored e-money is enough.

(Here bold and italicized "O" / "o" shows "O" / "o" which is pronounced long.)

The prices of JR commuter passes for rides between Otsuka and Osaki are coincidently the same for both the inner-loop route and the outer-loop route.
The inner-loop route (via Ikebukuro and Shinjuku) is shorter than the outer-loop route (via Ueno and Tokyo), therefore usually faster.

Option A. Your JR commuter pass is issued with the route specified; you are not allowed to travel with this pass by another route than the specified route.

Option B. JR multiple-ride (discount) basic-fare tickets for rides between Otsuka and Osaki are issued with the route specified. When you travel with one of these tickets, you can choose your route under the conditions shown below (#); however, if you travel to a station outside the specified route, you should pay a fare separately for the outside section.
(A set of 11 JR multiple-ride paper tickets is sold at the price which is equivalent to that of 10 JR normal paper tickets.)

Option C. A JR one-day, 260-yen normal basic-fare ticket for a ride from Otsuka / Osaki is issued with the origin specified but neither a route nor a destination specified. You can choose your route under the conditions shown below (#) when you travel with this ticket to Osaki / Otsuka.

# Conditions for you to choose your route
: You do not go back the way which you have traveled with the ticket.
: You do not pass by a point where you have traveled with the ticket.

You can choose your route in Option B. or C. thanks to a special rule of JR-East regarding rides within the zone called Tokyo Kinko Kukan, which spreads over so-called Greater Tokyo; Yamanote Line is fully within this zone.

Many railroad operators across Japan have a same rule as this JR-East special rule, which allows a passenger to choose a route when he/she travels with a one-day, short-distance normal paper ticket.

Also when you travel with a Suica Card Otsuka and Osaki, you can choose your route under the same conditions, because the Suica system applies the least-amount fare if fares for possible routes are different.
When a valid commuter pass is loaded on a Suica Card, the Suica system puts priority on it.


おｐ

Thanks for explaining this in detail! Now I have a much better idea about how the system works.

Ok, sorry for intruding heh.
I have read everything here but I am still confused @.@

If I want to buy a teikiken on JR Yamanote line from Akihabara to Shibuya (via Ikebukuro, counter-clock wise) can I use it for round trips from the stations in between?
ex:
Ueno -- Takadanobaba and then Takadanobaba --- Ueno to go back home?
If I can, do I need to always take the same inner loop route? from Takadanobaba via Shinagawa (counter clock wise) or can I take it clock wise?

I will be living around Ueno and studying near Takadanobaba, but I am sure I will be going a lot to Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Akihabara, etc.

Hope someone can help me :)
Thanks in advance if someone can answer, I'm new to this~