Hey guys, whenever I landed I went through customs and got my pocket wifi, but I didn’t pick up a pasmo card (nor did I buy any type of JR pass). I have been in Tokyo for 3 days and I have been using the 24hr Tokyo metro pass. I also loaded it with some yen and have done great. I’m about to head to Hakone/Kyoto and I was told by a guy that it would be difficult since I did not have the pasmo version from the airport. I thought I would just be able to buy individual tickets to those places. Any idea on what he was talking about or should I just continue as normal?
by Leather-Usual-9387
15 comments
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Add it in your Apple wallet.
No. As long as you will come back visiting Japan at least once within the next 10 years, a normal Suica/Pasmo/other IC card is better than the tourist’s ones.
Normal Suica is available for sale at the ticket ticket counters at some JR stations, while TOICA (IC card from JR Central) is available at the Shinkansen ticket counters at Tokyo and Shinagawa Station. Different IC cards works mostly the same (except the tourist’s ones expire after 30 days)
No, not at all. You can always buy individual tickets or pick up a card at another major station. If you have an iPhone, you can install the Suica app and tap your phone.
Where to buy a [Pasmo card](https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/buy/)
How to buy a [Suica card](https://youtu.be/74mMXxvuh-g?si=n81ZK9L1Y_4gl4Qx).
Any version should work, my friend ended up getting an icoca card in kyoto and my brother went to a station selling passmo in tokyo so its very possible to grab them outside the airport.
There are no normal Suica and Pasmo cards available but as a foreign tourist you are able to get a Welcome Suica or Pasmo Passport. I’m currently in Tokyo and got a Pasmo Passport card and it works on nearly all transportation modes in all major metro areas (not Shinkansen). You can get a Pasmo Passport card in Shinjuku station specifically at E01 Oedo Line Shinjuku-Nishiguchi station. There’s a visitor center with a robot out front. Ask them and they will take you down another level and get you a card. The card used to cost 500¥ but that fee is waived so now you just pay 1500¥ and get the card preloaded with that amount. Oh and it’s a super cute Hello Kitty card that you keep and it’s only good for 28 days. After that you have a nice souvenir. Enjoy!
If you go to Hakone, you might want to use the Hakone Free Pass anyway – it pays off quite easily. Buying a ticket from Tokyo to Odawara is easy.
Then, in Kyoto, you can get an ICOCA at a vending machine. No supply issue.
for you or anyone else with a similar question. dont worry.
the big train distances you would not do with the pasmo/suica anyway.
and you can buy an ic card in many other locations and not just the airport. if you were to step out of the train in kyoto you could buy the icoca card there…
and if you dont have an ic card, you can still pay with money…
You can find suica cards at the Tokyo station north entrance on the old side inside the customer service office. I got myself one, my spouse one another time, then was with a buddy while he purchased his yesterday. In case you want the hard copy version
Landed in Fukuoka and got an IC card in Hakata station from a ticket machine called the Hayakaken. Worked everywhere in Japan because it’s just another IC card.
I got one and ended up barely using it so I’d say you’re good. I somehow didn’t figure out how it works in stations. That is to say, I probably just settled with normal tickets because I was proud enough of figuring those out and never bothered to just try my suica card after.
Suica all the way!
when I was there last year there was a hakone pass that you could buy too if you want to look into that. it includes a lot of different stuff like bus fare, park access, and some other stuff. Was a pretty good time and worth the money
No worries. You could probably get an ICOCA card (Kansai version of Suica/Pasmo) in Kyoto if nothing else. Sould work countrywide where IC cards are used.
We’re just wrapping up 17 days in Japan and did it all without a Suica/Passmo. It added an extra minute per trip to buy tickets, so totally manageable.