Every Japanese city has its own network of subways, trains and buses, and every line has its own ticket system. The solution everyone uses, and the one we used too, is a prepaid card: the IC card. You tap it on the reader and the fare is deducted from your balance. That's it.
Suica, PASMO, ICOCA: are they the same thing?
For a visitor, yes. Suica (from JR East, the Tokyo area) and PASMO have been interchangeable since 2007, and they also work in Kyoto, Osaka and many other cities, along with regional cards such as ICOCA. If you have one, you don't need another when you move from city to city.
Where you can use it
- subways, local trains and many buses, by tapping the reader when you enter and (usually) when you exit;
- convenience stores (konbini), vending machines and coin lockers;
- many shops and restaurants near stations, and some taxis with the IC logo.
What it doesn't cover
You can't buy a Shinkansen ticket or limited express supplements with it, and some rural lines still require cash. That's why we booked the long-distance trains (Tokyo → Kanazawa and Kanazawa → Kyoto) in advance, with paper tickets: we talk about it in Trains between the four cities. Suica covered everything else.
How to get one today
Things have changed in recent years: since mid-2023, standard Suica and PASMO cards have been hard to find because of a chip shortage, so there are dedicated options for visitors. Check current availability before you leave.
- Welcome Suica (physical card): valid for 28 days from first use, no deposit. Any remaining balance is not refundable. You can buy it at Tokyo's airports and major stations, with your passport.
- Welcome Suica Mobile (app for iPhone and Apple Watch, launched by JR East in 2025): you issue it and top it up by card in the app, even before you travel. Valid for 180 days from issue, no deposit, and the remaining balance is not refunded.
- Mobile Suica in Apple Wallet, if you have an iPhone.
- PASMO PASSPORT: the visitor version of PASMO, valid for 28 days.
How to top it up
- Station machines: choose your language, then "Charge", and insert cash. They usually accept 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen notes.
- Konbini: you can top up at the register of convenience stores (usually cash only).
- App: for the mobile versions you pay with the linked card.
The maximum balance is 20,000 yen. Always keep some yen in cash: you need it to top up physical cards and for small restaurants.
How we used it
On our first-day list in Asakusa, one item was "sort out the Suica" (the rest of the list is here (in Italian)). Since then, Suica always in our pocket: it's one of the lessons of Tokyo. In our budget, the Local transport line covers Suica, the Tokyo Metro Pass, subway, buses and taxis: about €125 per person, 5% of the total (all the lines (in Italian)).
Three tips
- If you use an expiring card, spend what's left at convenience stores or vending machines before you leave.
- Top up with a margin: you don't want to be stuck at a gate with too little balance.
- The balance is shown on the gate display: check it every now and then.
Sources: JR East, press release on Welcome Suica Mobile · JRPass, Suica or PASMO in 2026. Availability, sales points and terms change: check the official site before you travel.