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Train Tickets and IC Cards in Japan: Suica, PASMO, ICOCA and the JR Pass

Published October 14, 2026 · by Small Things, Japan

The first time you stand in front of a Japanese ticket machine, it can feel like a puzzle. There is a huge route map above your head, a screen full of buttons, and a line of commuters behind you who seem to tap through the gates without even slowing down. How do they do that, and what should you buy?

The good news: paying for trains in Japan is much simpler than it looks. For most trips you only need two things: a rechargeable IC card (or the same card on your phone) for everyday rides, and a proper ticket for long-distance trains like the shinkansen (bullet train). This guide walks you through both, plus the big question many first-time visitors ask: is the Japan Rail Pass still worth buying?

Momiji's tip: Get an IC card on your first day, even if you plan to buy a rail pass. Subways, buses, private railways and convenience stores all take it, and it saves you from buying a paper ticket for every short ride.

The 30-second version

If you only remember five things, make it these:

Three ways to pay for a ride

Almost every train ride in Japan is paid for in one of three ways:

  1. An IC card (a plastic card or the same card on your phone). You load money on it, then touch it to the reader at the gate. The fare is taken off when you leave the station.
  2. A paper ticket bought from a machine or a ticket office for one particular trip.
  3. A rail pass, which covers unlimited rides on certain lines for a set number of days.

Most visitors end up using a mix: an IC card for getting around a city, and tickets or a pass for the long jumps between cities.

IC cards: Suica, PASMO, ICOCA and friends

Japan's IC cards have friendly names that change by region. Suica and PASMO come from the Tokyo area, ICOCA from the Osaka and Kyoto area, and there are others such as Kitaca, TOICA, manaca, PiTaPa, nimoca, SUGOCA and Hayakaken. The important part for you: the major cards work together. An ICOCA bought in Osaka will work in the Suica and PASMO areas in Tokyo, and the other way round (source: JR West, PASMO).

You can use an IC card on most trains, subways and buses in those areas, and for small purchases at convenience stores, some vending machines and many shops that show the card's logo (source: JNTO).

Buying a card

Regular IC cards are sold from ticket machines at stations. A new card includes a ¥500 deposit, which cannot be spent on fares. When you hand the card back, you get the deposit and the remaining balance back (as of October 2026, source: PASMO). Note that PASMO says ticket machines do not take credit cards for this, so bring some cash.

There are also cards made for visitors that need no deposit (source: JNTO):

Topping up

You can add money at the ticket machines in almost all stations: insert the card, follow the screen, choose an amount (source: JNTO). Many convenience stores can top up cards too. A card can hold up to ¥20,000 (source: PASMO).

What an IC card cannot do

This is where first-time visitors get caught out, so it is worth a minute:

IC cards on your phone

If you have an iPhone, you may not need a plastic card at all.

Apple Wallet. You can create a Suica, PASMO or ICOCA directly in the Wallet app and top it up with a card in Apple Pay. Set it as your Express Transit card, and you can tap through the gates without unlocking your phone (source: PASMO, JR West). ICOCA in Apple Wallet needs an iPhone 8 or later with iOS 16 or later. The money cannot be refunded through Apple Wallet, so try to use it up before you leave.

Welcome Suica Mobile. This is JR East's own app for visitors. As of October 2026, its App Store page says it needs iOS 17.2 or later, has no deposit or issuing fee, and is topped up with Apple Pay. The balance expires 180 days after issue, and refunds are not available (source: App Store, East Japan Railway Company).

Android phones. PASMO says Android phones bought outside Japan are generally not compatible with its mobile service (source: PASMO). If you use Android, plan on a plastic card.

Momiji's tip: A phone card stops working when your phone runs out of battery. On long days, carry a small power bank, or keep a plastic card as a backup.

Paper tickets, step by step

Paper tickets are still sold at every station, and they are a perfectly good choice if you only ride a few times (source: JNTO).

  1. Find your fare. Look at the fare chart above the ticket machines. Find your destination station on the map; the number next to it is the fare (source: JNTO). Many machines have an English button.
  2. Buy the ticket at the machine.
  3. Insert it into the gate. It pops out at the other end. Take it with you.
  4. Keep it until the end. You need it to exit, and the gate keeps it this time.
  5. Paid the wrong fare? No problem. Before the exit gate, use the fare adjustment machine to pay the difference (source: JNTO).

Shinkansen and limited express tickets

Fast long-distance trains need more than the basic fare. The shinkansen requires an extra express fee on top of the fare, and so do most limited express trains (source: JNTO). Reservations are required or recommended on the shinkansen and many limited express trains. Local and rapid trains do not need reservations.

You can buy these tickets at JR ticket offices (look for the staffed counter, often called midori-no-madoguchi), at reserved-seat ticket machines, or online through JR's booking services, such as SmartEX for the Tokaido and Sanyo shinkansen and the JR East app (source: JNTO).

If you will carry a big suitcase on the Tokaido, Sanyo or Kyushu shinkansen, read the luggage rules before you book: bags over a certain size need a special reserved seat (source: JR West). Our guide to sending your luggage ahead explains the details, and how to skip the problem entirely.

The Japan Rail Pass after the price rise

The Japan Rail Pass gives unlimited rides on most JR Group trains for 7, 14 or 21 days. It used to be the default advice for every visitor. That changed in October 2023, when the price rose sharply: the 7-day ordinary pass went from ¥29,650 (through overseas agents) to ¥50,000 (source: JNTO). Prices were raised again from October 1, 2026, except for passes bought on the official website, which keep the earlier price for a limited time.

As of October 14, 2026, the official prices for adults are (source: JAPAN RAIL PASS):

What it covers, and what it doesn't

The pass covers JR trains, including most shinkansen, limited express, rapid and local trains, plus the Tokyo Monorail (source: JAPAN RAIL PASS). It does not cover:

Who can use it

The pass is for visitors entering Japan as a "Temporary Visitor" for sightseeing (source: JAPAN RAIL PASS). One detail catches many people: if you use the automated immigration gates at the airport, you may not get a stamp or sticker in your passport, and the JR staff need to see one. Use a staffed gate or ask an officer for the stamp. You buy the pass before your trip, online or from an overseas agent, then pick it up at a JR ticket office in Japan with your passport (source: JAPAN RAIL PASS).

So, should you buy it?

There is no single answer, but there is a simple way to decide:

  1. Write down every long-distance JR trip you are fairly sure you will take within 7 (or 14, or 21) days. Skip city rides; they are cheap anyway.
  2. Look up the normal fare for each one on JR's official booking sites or a route-search app, using the trains you would actually take.
  3. Add them up and compare with the pass price above. Remember to add the NOZOMI ticket if you want the fastest trains.

As a rough guide, the pass tends to pay off when you cover a lot of distance in a short time, for example Tokyo to Kyoto, on to Hiroshima, and back again within one week. A simple round trip between two cities often costs less with normal tickets. Also look at regional JR passes, which cover one area such as Kansai or Tohoku and can be much better value if your trip stays in one region (source: JNTO).

Getting set up at the airport

You land, you are tired, and you want to get to your hotel. Here is a calm order of things:

  1. Get an IC card or set one up on your phone. At Haneda or Narita, TOURIST PASMO is sold at the airport railway stations (source: PASMO). At Kansai Airport, the visitor ICOCA is sold at the JR ticket office (source: JR West). If you use Apple Wallet or Welcome Suica Mobile, you can set it up before you fly.
  2. Pick up your JR Pass if you bought one, at a JR ticket office with your passport. The pass must be picked up before its start date or during its valid period.
  3. Check whether your airport train needs an express ticket. Limited express trains usually need a reserved seat, while local and rapid trains do not.
  4. Thinking of not carrying your suitcase at all? Many airports have luggage delivery counters near arrivals. See our luggage forwarding guide.

Quick questions

Do I need cash for trains? Not in big cities, if you have a card on your phone. But plastic IC cards and many ticket machines want cash, and some rural lines and buses only take cash. Keep a few thousand yen with you.

Can two people share one IC card? No. Each person taps through the gate with their own card, so each traveler needs one.

I tapped in but my card was rejected at the exit. What now? Usually the balance is too low. Use the fare adjustment machine or the staffed window next to the gates.

Can I get my deposit back at the airport on my last day? For a regular card with a ¥500 deposit, you can return it for a refund. Ask at a staffed station office of the company whose card you hold. Visitor cards without a deposit are not refunded, and phone cards often cannot be refunded easily either, so spend the balance at a convenience store or airport shop before you fly.

When things vary by place

Momiji's tip: Unsure at a gate? Step aside and ask at the staffed window next to it. Station staff help confused travelers all day long.

Before you ride

Once you have your card, the next step is riding like a local. Our guide to train etiquette covers phones, lining up, backpacks and priority seats. On the platform, wait in line beside the doors and let people off first. Heading to a traditional inn after a long rail day? Read your first ryokan stay next. And if you are new to Japan, our guide for first-time visitors covers the small manners that matter most.

Happy travels from Momiji. Tap in, sit back, and enjoy the view from the window.