Hi there!
So you know you need to get a suica card OR pasmo card OR icoca card!
These are collectively called “IC cards” and these are all types of prepaid cards or recharge cash cards that you’ll use to pay for local public transportation easily.
So, which one should you get?!
Should you get the suica or pasmo or icoca?!
In short, it really does not matter which one you get.
Which one you get can be based on convenience.
It will be dictated more by the first train station in Japan that you go to, and whether they are selling a suica card or pasmo card or icoca card!
You’ll likely be able to buy a card at the first train station you go to in Tokyo or Kyoto or Osaka.
If you’re in Tokyo, it will likely be suica or pasmo, as these are the most popular IC cards in Tokyo.
If you’re in Kyoto or Osaka, it will likely be icoca, as this is the popular IC card in Kyoto and Osaka.
If you’re at a train station that’s connected to selling IC cards, you generally are able to buy an IC card at the same ticket machine that you buy the train tickets.
Nowadays, these all the different types of IC cards are all basically the same thing.
The IC cards can be used in the same way.
So wherever you see that IC cards can be accepted, you can use a suica, pasmo, or icoca card.
It used to be that the cards were region-specific and you could only use the cards in a certain area.
But now there’s generally no such restriction.
You’ll see SUICA and PASMO more so in Tokyo, while you’ll see more of ICOCA in Osaka, Kyoto, and Hiroshima.
There are also more types of IC cards too.
One of the exceptions is that in Okinawa, you need to get a certain type of IC card called the okica card, as the popular IC cards of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka aren’t accepted.
But in general, you’ll find it to be convenient to use local public transport in big cities around Japan with whichever card you get, whether that’s suica or pasmo or icoca!
If you visit rural areas of Japan, you may find that IC cards are not accepted.
For examples of how to use and buy IC cards (pictures!) see:
HAPPY BUYING A SUICA OR PASMO OR ICOCA CARD!
Look for "view map" when searching for hotels near Kyoto Station!
📌 Save this post for later! Save on Pinterest! 👈📌
Traveling around Japan and can't read Japanese? No problem! Just use the camera on the google translate app!
Is a JR pass worth it?!
- Google maps can make it easy to figure out whether or not you should get a JR pass!
- In google maps, type in your departure and arrival city, and choose the transit icon. The route will come up, and so will the estimated cost at the bottom!
- Here is an example of a train route with cost on google maps.
- So do that for all of your long distance routes to figure out how much it might cost.
- Next, go here to see how much a JR pass costs.
- And compare!
- Not all forms of public transportation are JR, but long distance shinkansen bullet trains are, and that's where the most cost savings will come.
Best of Kyoto (and Japan!)
👇 Explore the best places to visit in Japan!
There are affiliate links on this page.