One thing however that I didn't even try to understand was the pricing - which is all based on a convoluted matrix between departure and destination points (as you can see, printed only in Japanese). I was advised (by the Interwebs) to, whenever purchasing any train tickets in Tokyo, purchase the largest possible fare, and when using the ticket at my departure point to leave the station, I would be given the appropriate amount of change. I amassed a large collection of 500 yen coins this way.