Got a question about JR Passes or IC cards (Suica/Pasmo/ICOCA/etc)? Read through the information below and feel free to ask additional questions in this thread! Please [see here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/search/?q=%22Do%20you%20have%20a%20JR%20Pass%20or%20IC%20Card%20(Suica%2FPasmo%2Fetc.)%20question%3F%22&restrict_sr=1&sort=new) for old versions of this megathread.
## JR Pass Info
The nationwide JR Pass is a travel pass that allows train and bus travel for a fixed cost over a certain period of days on Japan Railways (JR) services. For a comprehensive source of information on the pass, check out [our wiki page](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/advice/transport/jrpass/) or [Japan Guide’s JR Pass page](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html).
The JR Pass can be purchased in one of two ways:
* Online at the [official site](https://japanrailpass.net/en/)
* Online from an authorized retailer
There is no way to be certain if a JR Pass will be valuable for you without knowing your exact itinerary and doing the math out. If you are trying to work out whether a JR Pass is the right choice for you, here are some calculators:
* [JRPass.com’s calculator](https://www.jrpass.com/farecalculator)
* [Japan Guide’s calculator](https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/)
* [Daisuki calculator](https://www.daisuki.com.br/jrpass_calculator.html)
**As of October 1, 2023, the nationwide JR Pass and regional JR Passes have increased in price significantly.** The price increase makes it so that there are _very few itineraries_ that the nationwide JR Pass will be worth it for. For more information and discussion on the price increase, see these prior threads:
* [Nationwide JR Pass price increase discussion thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/16foi20/jr_pass_price_increase_discussion_thread_part_1/)
* [Nationwide JR Pass price increase announcement thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/12lnk7d/psa_japan_rail_pass_will_increase_its_price_on/)
* [Regional JR Pass price increase discussion thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/16tk54c/jr_pass_price_increases_discussion_part_2/)
* [Regional JR Pass price increase announcement thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/15aggti/regional_price_increases_mizuho_and_nozomi/)
* [Additional discussion about the price increase](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/133lbzr/with_price_increases_the_jr_pass_may_not_be_worth/)
* [Some more additional discussion about the price increase](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/16s6uo0/how_come_the_jr_passes_are_having_such_insane/)
* [Some discussion about the JR Pass versus alternatives](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/17e72em/if_a_jrpass_isnt_viable_how_does_the_alternative/)
## IC Card Info (Suica, Pasmo, ICOCA, etc.)
### General Information
An IC card is a stored-value card used to pay for transportation in Japan. That means you can load the card with money and use the card to pay for trains, buses, etc by tapping the card at train station gates or fare readers. Even if you have a JR Pass or other travel pass, an IC card is recommended because it can be used across transportation systems operated by many different transit companies, as well as for payment at convenience stores, restaurants, shops, vending machines, and other locations.
For tourism purposes, there are nine major IC cards and all of them are completely interchangeable and usable in each other’s regions, so it doesn’t really matter which one you get. Where you start your travels in Japan often dictates what IC card you get, since different IC cards originate in different regions, but then you’ll be able to use it during most of your traveling. For general information on IC cards, see [our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/advice/transport/iccards/) or [Japan Guide’s IC card page](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html).
## Physical IC Cards
Currently, sales of regular Suica, named Suica, regular Pasmo, and named Pasmo cards [are _technically_ suspended due to a semiconductor shortage](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/sale-of-pasmo-and-suica-cards-suspended-except-those-for-tourists-080223) (except children’s versions). That said, there have been recent reports in December 2023 of people getting regular Suica cards at some stations in Tokyo.
**If you are landing in/starting your trip in Tokyo,** tourists can still get:
* A [Welcome Suica](https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/welcomesuica/welcomesuica.html) at Haneda Airport or a [Pasmo Passport](https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/) at both Tokyo airports (HND and NRT)
* A [Pasmo Passport](https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/) at certain train stations within Tokyo
* * ~~A Toica (JR Central’s IC card) from certain parts of Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station (see [here](https://toica.jr-central.co.jp/counter/index.html))~~ Updated: Toica sales [have been temporarily suspended](https://twitter.com/shoinoue/status/1750798411098706129), with no indication as of yet when they will return.
* _Possibly_ a regular Suica at some major JR East stations in Tokyo (subject to very limited availability)
* A digital IC card (see next section for more information)
A Welcome Suica or Pasmo Passport acts exactly like a regular IC card, with two exceptions: it is only valid for 28 days, and it cannot be refunded. Please see [this thread and its top comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/15ebhwb/issuing_of_personalized_suica_and_pasmo_cards_is/) for information.
**If you are starting your trip in another region** (e.g., Kansai, Kyushu, etc.), sales of their regional IC cards are unaffected by suica and pasmo shortages. Please see [this page](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html) to identify which card you’ll get, and it should be available at airports and train stations in those regions.
### Digital IC Cards
If you are looking to get a digital IC card, please note that digital Suica, Pasmo, and ICOCA cards can only be used on iPhones, Apple Watches, or *Japanese* Android phones (this means the phone was purchased in Japan). Additionally, you cannot load mobile IC cards with many Visa credit cards—you will likely need to set-up and load the digital IC card with a non-Visa credit card (Amex, Mastercard, etc.). For instructions on how to get a digital IC card in Apple Wallet, see [here](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207155).
**UPDATE:** As of December 2023, loading a digital Suica with some Visa credits cards seems to work, although not all of them. See this [At A Distance blog post](https://atadistance.net/all-about-apple-pay-suica-recharge/) for more info and updates.
Keep in mind that digital IC cards cannot be refunded (that requires a Japanese bank account), so you will need to burn down whatever value you’ve loaded onto them before the end of your trip.
### IC Card FAQ
**I have an old IC card from a previous trip. Can I use it on my upcoming trip?**
> IC cards are valid for ten years after their last date of use, so if you received the card and/or used the card after 2013, it’ll work.
**Can more than one person use the same IC card for travel?**
> No. All travelers who want to use IC cards on transit need to have their own card. Most transit in Japan is distance-based, and the card is “keeping track” of your journey, and it can only keep track of one at a time.
**Are there children’s IC cards? How do I get one for my child?**
> Children under six years old can ride transit for free. If your child is between the ages of six and eleven, you can get a children’s IC card from JR offices by presenting the child’s passport for proof of age. There are also Welcome Suica and Pasmo Passport versions for children. If you are getting IC cards at the airport, they are able to provide children’s cards.
**Can I load money onto a physical IC card with a credit card?**
> No. Physical IC cards can only be loaded with cash, which can be done at ticket machines in train stations, convenience stores, and 7-Eleven ATMs.
**I have a physical IC card and I want to transfer it to my phone. If I do that, can I still use the physical card?**
> No. Once you “move” the physical card to your phone and turn it into a digital card, the physical card becomes invalid.
**I’m landing in Tokyo, but then I’m going to Osaka and Kyoto. Do I need a suica in Tokyo and then an ICOCA in Osaka/Kyoto?**
> No. Once you have one of the major IC cards, it can be used pretty much anywhere. There are some exceptions to this, but they are mostly on individual lines or in specific rural regions. If you are traveling to major tourism cities such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, etc., you are likely fine with whatever IC card you originally received upon arrival.
**Should I buy an IC card online before arriving in Japan?**
> If you want to get an IC card online from a reputable vendor, there’s nothing wrong with that. Some of the authorized JR Pass website (as well as other websites targeted at tourists) will sell them bundled with other purchases. That said, there isn’t really any reason to get your card ahead of time. If you’re landing in Tokyo, the 28-day Welcome Suica or Pasmo Passport is good enough for most tourists. And if you do end up in the country for longer than 28 days, you can simply get an IC card from another region once you’re in one (such as the ICOCA from Kansai).
**Help! I tried to load my digital IC card through Apple Wallet and the transaction didn’t go through! What do I do?**
> To start, did you attempt to create it/load it overnight in Japan? The digital system goes down for maintenance from about 1am to 5am JST, so try again during Japan’s daytime hours. Beyond that, Visa cards often cannot be used to load digital IC cards. Mastercards sometimes have issues too, depending on the issuing bank. Unfortunately, if you can’t find a digital card + credit card combo that works for you, you may not be able to use digital IC cards.
### Recent IC Card Threads
To see some recent discussion on IC cards, check out the following threads:
* [Please help with IC Cards/JR Pass](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/171ccxk/please_help_with_ic_cardsjrpass/)
* [What to do since can’t buy suica card](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/15rb3z3/what_to_do_since_cant_buy_suica_card/)
* [Is a Suica essential for Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Nara & Kyoto?](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/16ovzmx/is_a_suica_essential_for_tokyo_nagoya_osaka_nara/)
* [I only have Visa and Discover cards, but neither of those work for transferring money to my Suica on Apple Wallet. Do I have to apply for an AmEx card or just purchase physical tickets in Japan?](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/13f4lst/i_only_have_visa_and_discover_cards_but_neither/)
* [IC cards outside Tokyo area](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/15ry8ng/ic_cards_outside_tokyo_area/)
* [Tokyo IC card shortage update: JR East apparently resume selling Suica cards at major Tokyo stations.](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/18kpp76/tokyo_ic_card_shortage_update_jr_east_apparently/)
by Himekat
17 comments
If someone can confirm my plan for my upcoming trip in May, I would really appreciate it. Me and my partner both have iPhone 12s and assuming our payment goes through, we can just add Suica to our Apple Wallet and add money to it before we even land in Tokyo? If that’s all goes through, once we land and reboot/start our eSIM we should be able to board the train using our phones to take the train to Akasaka, correct?
Possibly dumb question but if anyone could confirm this for me I would be grateful:
If I buy the jr pass on the official site, I can do that in Japan as well? Or do I still need to buy it in advance?
And is it the same for the regional passes? Can they be bought in Japan?
And if it’s necessary to buy them in advance, how long before?
Apple wallet IC card for using it on purchases. I read a post recently about not all stores use the “tap to pay”. Is this accurate? So does that mean I will be limited on where I can use it to pay (konbinis, shopping, etc.)? Thank you.
I was able to use my Visa Chase Sapphire to load money onto my digital Suica card this week (Feb 2024).
Hi all. Question regarding JR be worth or not.
I have a 30 day trip that goes from Tokyo>Hakone>takayama>Kumomoto>Fukuoka>hiroshima>Osaka>Nara , Himeji and Kobe , Kyoto > Nagoya and Tokyo. I was almost going without JR Pass, but those tickets for me right now are costing ~~97840 Yen(smart-ex) . Considering the JR bein 100k Yen…. besides the 2k saving, is there any other point to be consider as a “go for the JR pass” ? Or should I buy the tickets alone?
Some points that are letting me going for individual ticket are : I can buy and reserve seats right now, don’t need to wait. And I can already get Nozomi when reserving the tickets for longer ranges.
Anyone has something to comment about it for helping me out to decide this ? Thanks !
Hi all, I’m going to be living in Tokyo for 3 months and would like to get an IC card. I don’t use an iphone so mobile suica is out. I tried going to the Jr east service counter at Tokyo station but they didn’t allow me to purchase as my visa shows 3 months (their rationale is that I am on short term stay instead of tourist). Is there any other option available for me? Welcome suica / passport pasmo wouldn’t be helpful since it expires after 28 days.
EDIT: I tried the suggestion in the previous month thread to buy a one day pass at one of the toei machines. It issued a pasmo card for 1400 (500 deposit and 900 for the 24 hr pass). A pretty good deal if you ask me.
Might be a stupid question but I will be flying into Narita Airport in April and after a bit of research, it says the welcome suica cards are no longer being sold at Narita. Where would I go to get a welcome suica or regular suica card. Thanks in advance for the help. Also is the limo bus the best way to get to shibuya from Narita (arriving around 4pm)
Hey guys just wanted to figure out what would make more sense for us. We’re planning a trip from the 18th to the 26th. We’ll be taking a ferry from Korea to Japan so landing in Fukuoka (Hakata port) on the 18th. Also our base for half the trip will be Kyoto. We don’t want to be lugging around our luggage to multiple different hotels so we decided to just stay at a hotel in Kyoto and travel around from there. Knowing that our trips looks like the following.
1. Fukuoka (Hakata) -> Kyoto (our base).
2. Kyoto -> Fukuoka -> Kumamoto (Return day trip)
(We know this isn’t efficient use of our time but we really want to see some of the One piece statues in Kumamoto. We’re ok with half the day being on shinkansen)
3. Kyoto -> Osaka (Return trip)
(Day trip in Osaka)
4. Kyoto -> Tokyo (one way)
We will stay the rest of our trip in Tokyo.
Based on this, we’re wondering if it makes more sense to get the **”Sanyo-San’in Northern Kyushu Pass”** which would cover all the transport except for Tokyo, and then we would buy trip to tokyo separately.
OR
Do we just get a full JR Pass. According to costs, the full JR pass is a bit more expensive, but the benefit is it’s a single booking rather than multiple tickets. Also we might be able to make use of it in Tokyo? Unsure how much benefit this will give us in Tokyo. I understand in Tokyo there are other transport options that are more useful.
Overall what do you guys think? Really just want to understand what you would do if you were following the itinerary i laid out. Thanks.
Very helpful info here!! I have a question that doesn’t seem to be answered.
In tokyo, you can get the ‘1 day open pass’ on to travel anywhere on the tokyo metro for 24 hours. It works out cheaper than say 6 individual metro rides. I’ve always found these useful in Tokyo especially when doing a lot of sight seeing. [https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/1day/index.html](https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/1day/index.html)
I am wondering, if you have an IC card and are traveling around for the day, and end up reaching the price of the day pass, will it stop charging you, or will it keep charging for every ride? Alternative, can you buy the day pass onto the IC card?
Thanks!
I’m going to land in Fukuoka first, then go to Tokyo later. Do I need to get two different IC cards? Or is it sufficient to use the Fukuoka version, SUGOCA?
I am getting conflicting information about it. Also, if I get SUGOCA, can I charge it in Tokyo?
I only plan to use the card for within city travel. I think the furthest I will go is Fukuoka to Daizafu, and going to/from the airport in Tokyo.
Looking for current update on PASMO/Suica cards
Hello, traveling to Japan next month. Looking for current update on getting a PASMO card or SUICA card. I know at the end of last year they were hard to obtain due to chip shortage reasons. Didn’t know if anyone has been able to get them more recently and if so, how so? Even if it’s a welcome SUICA or PASMO
TIA
I can’t get Suica to load funds on the iPhone app or wallet. I tried getting a new Suica card on their app and loading with visa and Apple Cash. Didn’t work and just to try it I got the Suica card on wallet and it didn’t work either. My iPhone is on newest version and Suica app up to date. Anyone know how I can get it loaded?
I’ll be visiting TYO with a group of students in May and would need to get around 20 cards. Does anyone know a station where I could possibly get so many of these cards? Would that be a problem? Do I need to show everyone’s passport for this?
Does anybody have any tips on how to get the Smart Ex app/website to accept my cards? I’ve tried Visa and Mastercard to no avail. My bank says there are no charges on their end, so there’s no fraud alert stuff happening. Thank you in advance.
Is a day trip to Kawaguchiko (touring different instagrammable spots) + Snow Yeti Resort (skiing) possible, with or without a private car?
If Regular Suica card is available at the Haneda airport, Would it take foreign US credit card or cash only? I read that ticket machines do not accept US foreign credit cards. And I was advised to get cash out from 7 11 machines and not from the airport. Thus I will not have cash with me until I reach Tokyo. Thanks
Need clarification on using jr pass with jr buses. Do you just need to show your jr pass to the driver then walk out?
Google search says you also collect a bus ticket upon entering the bus but i haven’t seen any ticket machine on the buses I’ve used