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Can I get a physical Suica card?

You can purchase a “My Suica” at any JR East station ticketing machine or booth, including the ones located at Narita and Haneda airport. You can also buy it at some tourist information centers. If you want, you can also purchase the card online through the JR East website or other authorized sellers.



As of early 2026, obtaining a standard physical Suica card in Japan has become significantly easier again following the global semiconductor shortages of previous years. You can purchase a "Welcome Suica" (specifically for tourists, valid for 28 days with no deposit) at major entry points like Narita or Haneda airports. For the classic, permanent Suica card, they are once again being issued at major JR East stations in Tokyo, though some machines may still encourage the use of Mobile Suica. Mobile Suica is a digital version that you can add directly to your Apple Wallet or Google Pay on your smartphone, which most travelers now prefer because it allows for instant "top-ups" using a credit card without needing a physical kiosk. However, if you prefer the tactile souvenir of a physical card, look for the "Multifunction Ticket Machines" (usually black or green) at stations like Tokyo, Shinjuku, or Ueno. A physical card requires a 500 yen deposit, which is refundable if you return the card at the end of your trip. Just be aware that many machines for physical cards still require cash (Japanese Yen) for both the deposit and the initial balance.

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You can load a minimum amount of JPY1,000 at convenience stores. Short-term visitors can also consider the special Welcome Suica card. This tourist card with a sakura design comes without a JPY500 deposit fee but is valid for only four weeks and the balance credit cannot be refunded.

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You can buy the Welcome Suica card through Vending Machines located at the Haneda Terminal 3 station, Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Terminal 2 Station, and Narita Terminal 1,2, and 3 Stations. For official information please visit the Welcome Suica Card official website.

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Sales of Suica and PASMO Transit Cards to be Temporarily Suspended. Due to a global shortage of semiconductors, sales of Japan's two largest types of IC Cards (imminently convenient, once-omnipresent, charge-and-tap transit cards) Suica and PASMO, will be suspended as of August 2nd, 2023.

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You can purchase the Welcome Suica card at JR East Travel Service Centers at Narita Airport Terminal 1 Station, Narita Airport Terminal 2/3 Station, Haneda Airport International Terminal Station, Tokyo Station, Hamamatsucho Station, Shinagawa Station, Shibuya Station, Shinjuku Station, Ikebukuro Station, or Ueno ...

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Suica is the prepaid IC card by JR East for JR trains in the Greater Tokyo, Niigata and Sendai regions. A special version of Suica, called Welcome Suica, is available to foreign tourists. The special cards are valid for only four weeks, come without a deposit fee, but do not allow for refunds.

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The JR pass is only worth it if you travel through different cities, if you are just travelling to Tokyo to Kyoto for example, I would just pay on the Suica. You can do the online calculator or just use google to calculate which trip is easier - paying individually on Suica or getting a JR Pass.

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The good news is that the IC Card shortage seems to only affect Suica and Pasmo for the time being. If you're visiting other regions in Japan outside of Tokyo, you could still use their IC Cards! All IC Cards can be used across Japan regardless of where it is from.

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Each person needs one. Pasmo/Suica is read when touching the IC card reader upon entering and exiting a gate, and the correct fare is deducted from the card. The same card cannot be read entering twice at the same station.

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iPhone: How to Add a Mobile Suica or PASMO Card
  1. To add a card to your iPhone, go to the Wallet app and select “Add”.
  2. Select the “Transit Card” option.
  3. Choose either Suica or PASMO, then select “Continue”.
  4. Finally, enter in how much you want to charge your card, and then select “Add”.


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Yes, it can. Suica cards can be used anywhere the Suica IC card logo is displayed. It can also be used in convenience stores and vending machines outside of the Tokyo area. You cannot use the Suica to travel between Tokyo and Osaka, but you can use it to travel within cities such as Osaka and Kyoto.

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Smart cards like Icoca, Suica and Pasmo are generally valid across Japan, so don't worry about which one you buy. You can use Icoca/Pasmo/Suica for all trains, subways and buses in Osaka.

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Can we just swipe the same card 3 times while going thru the gate? You need 3 cards. Every individual needs their own cards to use train. Scanning the card three times to allow three people, or giving the card back so three people could use it would not work because of the design of the system.

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Update: There's now an English version of the Suica app, SuicaEng. You can download that instead of following these instructions for using the Japanese app. Download the Suica app on the App Store, then follow the screenshots below because the app doesn't have an English localization.

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Smart cards like Icoca, Suica and Pasmo are valid across Japan, so don't worry about which one you buy. You can use Icoca/Pasmo/Suica for all trains, subways and buses in Kyoto. You can also use Icoca/Pasmo/Suica at many shops, especially convenience stores. Buy Icoca cards from vending machines at JR Kyoto Station.

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The only difference between PASMO and SUICA is who sells them. SUICA is from JR East, and PASMO is from Tokyo-area non-JR rail operators, including Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway. Wherever you can use SUICA, you can use PASMO, and vice versa. Same with charging with new amounts.

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No visitor to Tokyo should be without a Suica card and no visitor to Japan should be without a JR Pass. The Suica card is convenient for intercity trains and buses while the JR Pass saves you time and money when traveling through the country. Here are the deets.

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