As of March 2013, paying fares got even easier; a single card became usable for trains and buses throughout the country. You can get one as soon as you arrive in Tokyo from almost any ticket machine.
{"Image ImageWidth": "3509", "Image ImageLength": "2393", "Image BitsPerSample": "[8, 8, 8]", "Image PhotometricInterpretation": "2", "Image ImageDescription": "A \"shinkansen\" or bullet train speeds amongst buildings in Tokyo on September 9, 2013. Japan's economy grew more than initially thought in the June quarter, revised data showed on September 9, supplying more evidence of an economic recovery which is likely to clear the way for a hike in the nation's sales tax.    AFP PHOTO/Toru YAMANAKA        (Photo credit should read TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images)", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image SamplesPerPixel": "3", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Macintosh)", "Image DateTime": "2013:10:10 16:15:37", "Image Artist": "TORU YAMANAKA", "Image Copyright": "2013 AFP", "Image ExifOffset": "704", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "856", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "5996", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3509", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "1973"}