One Card for Transportation and Shopping!
〜 Easy Guide to Suica / Pasmo 〜

What are Suica / Pasmo?

Suica (issued by JR East Japan) and Pasmo (issued by private railways and subways) are prepaid transportation IC cards that can be used in major cities throughout Japan.
By charging (depositing money) in advance, you can smoothly board trains, subways, and buses by simply touching the card to the ticket gate. You don't need to buy tickets repeatedly during your trip, and even if your destination changes, the correct fare is automatically deducted, making it very convenient.
Furthermore, they can be used not only for transportation but also for payments at convenience stores, vending machines, station shops, coin lockers, and more, making them a versatile card for both transportation and shopping. Many tourists use them as an "essential travel item."
Also, there's no significant difference in functionality between Suica and Pasmo, and they can be used interchangeably in most cities including the Tokyo area, so you can use either one with confidence.

Suica Features

• Transportation IC card issued by JR East Japan
• Easy to purchase at Tokyo Station, Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, etc.
• "Welcome Suica" requires no deposit & valid for 28 days (foreign visitors only)
• Can be used on trains, subways, and buses nationwide
• Also usable at convenience stores, vending machines, restaurants, etc.

Pasmo Features

• IC card issued by Tokyo Metro and private railways (Tokyu, Odakyu, etc.)
• Available for purchase at subway stations and private railway ticket offices/machines
• Can be used on transportation and shops nationwide, similar to Suica
• Also usable at convenience stores, vending machines, restaurants, etc.

Both offer similar convenience, but choose Suica if you "want to get it immediately at the airport" or Pasmo if you "mainly use subways and private railways."
If you're unsure, choose based on "where you can purchase" and "design preference"!
Suica Official Website
PASMO Official Website

Where can I buy them?

Purchase at Airports

Main Railway Stations and Information Centers at Airports

■ Narita Airport

• JR EAST Travel Service Center (JR East Japan)

  Location	Inside Terminal 1 & 2 stations
  Available Cards	Welcome Suica / Suica
  Languages	English, Chinese, etc. (staff available)
  Hours	8:15-19:00 (subject to change)

• Keisei Skyliner Service Counter

  Location	Terminal 1 & 2 B1F ticket gate level
  Available Cards	Pasmo
  Languages	English, Chinese, Korean (staff available)
  Hours	7:00-21:00 (subject to change)

■ Haneda Airport

• JR EAST Travel Service Center (JR East Japan)

  Location	Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station (International Terminal) inside
  Available Cards	Welcome Suica / Suica
  Languages	English, Chinese, Korean (staff available)
  Hours	7:45-20:00 (open year-round) ※Hours may vary by season

• Keisei Skyliner Service Counter

  Location	Near Keikyu Line ticket gates at Haneda Airport Terminal 1, 2 & 3 stations
  Available Cards	Pasmo
  Languages	English, Chinese, Korean (staff available)
  Hours	7:00-22:00 (may vary by terminal)

■ Kansai International Airport

At Kansai International Airport (KIX), Suica / Pasmo are not sold directly, but you can purchase "ICOCA" which works the same way.
ICOCA is mutually compatible with Suica / Pasmo nationwide and is a convenient card that can be used for trains, subways, buses, and shopping.

ICOCA Official Website

• JR West Japan Midori no Madoguchi (Kansai Airport Station)

  Location	Inside "JR Kansai Airport Station" across the connecting bridge from Terminal 1 building
  Available Cards	ICOCA, ICOCA & HARUKA (set with Kansai Airport Limited Express "Haruka")
  Languages	English and Chinese ticket machines available / staff assistance available
  Hours	5:30-23:00 (open year-round)

• Ticket Vending Machines (inside JR Kansai Airport Station)

  Location	Inside JR Kansai Airport Station
  Available Cards	ICOCA
  Languages	Japanese, English, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Korean
  Hours	First train-23:00

• Nankai Electric Railway Service Counter

  Location	Kansai Airport Station (Terminal 1 2F) Nankai Electric Railway area ※Near Nankai "Rapi:t" and airport line boarding gates
  Available Cards	ICOCA
  Languages	English
  Hours	7:00-19:00 ※9:00-17:00 on holidays (subject to change)

Purchase at Railway Stations

JR East Japan Area (Suica)

Available at "Midori no Madoguchi" and "multilingual ticket machines"
Mainly available at stations in Tokyo, Tohoku, and Shinetsu areas

Metropolitan Private Railways & Subways (Pasmo)

Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, Odakyu Electric Railway, Tokyu Corporation, etc.
Available at ticket machines or ticket offices

Points when purchasing

• A 500 yen deposit is required for first-time purchase (※except Welcome Suica)
• Some ticket machines only accept cash
• "Welcome Suica" for foreign visitors is no deposit required, no refund
• Regular Suica / Pasmo are refundable (counter service only)
• One IC card per person is the rule (cannot be shared among multiple people)

Where can I use them?

Public Transportation such as Trains, Subways, and Buses

Examples of available transportation

• JR Lines
• Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, Private Railway Lines
• Local city railways (mutually compatible with ICOCA, manaca, nimoca, etc.)
• Route buses (urban areas and many local governments)

Thanks to the nationwide mutual use service for transportation IC cards, Suica/Pasmo can be used in most cities in Japan.

Convenience Stores, Shops, and Station Facilities

Examples of stores where you can use them

• Seven-Eleven / FamilyMart / Lawson
• Station shops (NewDays, etc.)
• Drugstores and some supermarkets
• Restaurants, cafes, bakeries inside stations

Can be used at stores with the "Transportation Electronic Money Compatible" mark.

Vending Machines & Coin Lockers

Vending machines near station platforms and ticket gates
Also convenient for storing luggage in Suica/Pasmo-compatible lockers

Some Tourist Facilities, Taxis, etc.

Purchasing admission tickets at some tourist facilities, museums, zoos
IC card-compatible taxis

There are cases where they cannot be used

1. Local routes outside the service area (e.g., some routes on remote islands, mountainous areas, etc.)
2. Purchase of express tickets or reserved seat tickets (separate tickets required)
3. Cannot be used overseas (domestic use only)

How to charge?

To smoothly travel and make payments during your trip, it's important to charge (deposit money) at appropriate times.
We'll introduce you to places and methods where you can charge PASMO and Suica in an easy-to-understand way.

Station Ticket Machines & Dedicated Charging Machines

• Installed at almost all stations including JR, subways, and private railways
• Multilingual support (Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean)
• Cash charging is standard (credit cards may not be accepted at some stations)
• Touch panel: "Charge" → Select amount → Place IC card and complete!

Convenience Store Registers

• Compatible convenience stores: Seven-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson, Ministop, etc.
• Just say "Please charge my Suica" at the register
• Cash charging only
• Available in 1,000 yen increments up to 20,000 yen!

Station Counters (Staffed Counters)

• Available at "Midori no Madoguchi" and private railway service centers
• You can ask staff for assistance if you're unsure about operations
• Cash charging only is standard

ATMs (e.g., Seven Bank ATM)

• Nationwide at Seven-Eleven, airports, inside stations, shopping malls, etc.
• Cash charging only is standard
• ATM screen: "Electronic Money Charge" → Select amount → Place IC card and complete!
• You can check your balance with the receipt after charging at ATMs

What if I have remaining balance?

If you have remaining balance on your Suica or Pasmo that you charged during your trip, you can handle it in the following ways.

Get a refund (return the card)

• Refunds available at JR East Japan "Midori no Madoguchi" and service centers of each private railway and subway
• A 220 yen refund fee applies (Welcome Suica cannot be refunded)
• The card itself will be collected, but the 500 yen deposit will be refunded
• Refunds are only possible within Japan (not available overseas)

One Point Advice

• If the remaining charge amount is 220 yen or less, only the deposit will be refunded.
• Suica issued by JR East Japan cannot be refunded at stations other than JR East Japan.
• It's recommended to use up the remaining balance at convenience stores or vending machines as small change before getting a refund.

Suica / Pasmo are valid for 10 years from the last use, so if you plan to come back to Japan, you can keep them as they are!
How to refund Suica
How to refund PASMO

Make your trip more comfortable and smooth.