What card do I need for Tokyo Subway?

PASMO is a convenient prepaid transportation card that contains an integrated-circuit (IC) chip, allowing the user to enter the subway by simply placing the card over a PASMO card reader located on the fare gates. The card is rechargeable and can be used over and over.



To navigate the Tokyo Subway in 2026, you primarily need a contactless IC card, such as a Suica or a PASMO. While both cards are virtually identical in function, Suica is issued by JR East, while PASMO is issued by private railway and subway companies. For short-term tourists, the "Welcome Suica" or "PASMO PASSPORT" are high-value choices because they do not require the standard ¥500 deposit and feature unique souvenir designs. A major 2026 "pro-tip" is to use Mobile Suica or Mobile PASMO on your iPhone or Android device; this allows you to tap-and-go through the ticket gates using your phone and top up your balance instantly with your credit card. If you plan on doing a massive amount of sightseeing within a 24, 48, or 72-hour window, you might also consider the Tokyo Subway Ticket, which offers unlimited rides on all Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway lines for a fixed price, though it doesn't work on the JR lines like the popular Yamanote loop.

People Also Ask

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.

MORE DETAILS

Where to Buy and How to Top-Up the Suica Card? Travellers flying in from Narita or Haneda International Airport can purchase a Suica card easily at JR East Travel Service Centers. You can also buy a prepaid Suica card from ticketing machines at major JR East train stations and JR Ticket Offices (Midori-no-madoguchi).

MORE DETAILS

Ownership and operation: JR trains are owned and operated by the Japan Railways Group, which is a conglomerate of regional railway companies across the country. Metro trains, on the other hand, are owned and operated by various municipal governments in major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

You can use Suica, PASMO, or ICOCA with Apple Pay to ride transit anywhere that you can use a physical Suica, PASMO, or ICOCA card, or where interoperable Integrated Circuit (IC), or prepaid, cards are accepted.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Practical information on the Suica card The Suica card is ready to use and already credited with 2000 yen (including a 500 yen deposit). To recover the deposit, you will have to return your card in Tokyo only, at JR East stations. You can keep your Suica card for your next trip. It will remain valid for 10 years.

MORE DETAILS

The JR Pass does not allow you to ride on subways or trams within cities. However, most big cities have a few JR lines that you can use to go around, like the Osaka Loop or Kanjo line and the Tokyo Yamanote line, for example.

MORE DETAILS

Tipping in Japan is not expected, and attempts to leave a tip will almost certainly be turned down (a potentially awkward moment). In Japan, it's thought that by dining out or drinking at a bar, you are already paying the establishment for good service.

MORE DETAILS