By 
An IC card is the single most useful thing a visitor can acquire in Japan. It removes the entire problem of working out a fare before you travel, it replaces coins at vending machines and lockers, and it pays at convenience stores. It is also surrounded by more misinformation than any other piece of Japanese travel admin.
The short answer
- They are all the same thing. Suica, Pasmo, ICOCA, TOICA, manaca, SUGOCA, Kitaca, nimoca, hayakaken and PiTaPa are mutually accepted across the country.
- ¥500 deposit on a physical card, refundable only in the region that issued it.
- Maximum balance ¥20,000. Less than one Shinkansen fare — this is for local travel and small purchases.
- No expiry on the balance, but a card unused for ten years may be deactivated.
- Mobile Suica on a phone avoids the deposit, the refund problem and any stock shortage.
They are interoperable — stop comparing them
The ten major IC cards operate under a nationwide mutual-use agreement. A Suica bought in Tokyo works on the Osaka subway, a Kyushu bus and a Sapporo vending machine. Which one you buy is decided by which station you happen to be standing in.
| Card | Issuer | Home region |
|---|---|---|
| Suica | JR East | Tokyo and eastern Japan |
| Pasmo | Tokyo private railways and buses | Tokyo |
| ICOCA | JR West | Osaka, Kyoto, western Japan |
| TOICA | JR Central | Nagoya |
| SUGOCA / nimoca / hayakaken | JR Kyushu and others | Fukuoka and Kyushu |
| Kitaca | JR Hokkaido | Sapporo |
The one meaningful exception is PiTaPa, which is a postpaid card requiring a Japanese account — not available to visitors and not comparable to the others.
What you can pay for
- Trains and subways — tap in, tap out, the correct fare is deducted. No ticket, no fare tables.
- City buses — tap on boarding and again on leaving where the fare varies by distance.
- Coin lockers — increasingly IC-only, and the card becomes the key.
- Vending machines — most in and around stations.
- Convenience stores, many chains, some restaurants and taxis.
What it does not cover: Shinkansen and limited express fares, which need a separate ticket or reservation. That surprises people, and it follows directly from the ¥20,000 ceiling.
The deposit, and the refund trap
A physical card costs a ¥500 deposit on top of whatever you load. That deposit is refundable when you return the card — but only at a station operated by the issuer. A Suica must go back to a JR East station; an ICOCA to a JR West station. You cannot return a Suica in Osaka.
Refunding also deducts a handling fee from any remaining balance, so a card with ¥1,800 left on it does not return ¥1,800 plus the deposit.
Do not bother refunding
The balance never expires and the card works nationwide. If there is any chance you will return to Japan, keep the card with a small balance on it. You save the queue, the handling fee, and you arrive next time able to walk straight through the gate.
Tourist cards, and the stock shortage
Sales of standard unregistered Suica and Pasmo cards were suspended in 2023 because of a global semiconductor shortage, and availability has been restored only partially and unevenly since. Tourist-specific versions — Welcome Suica and ICOCA’s visitor equivalents — were introduced to fill the gap.
| Standard card | Welcome Suica | Mobile Suica | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit | ¥500 | None | None |
| Validity | Indefinite | 28 days | Indefinite |
| Balance refundable | Yes, with fee | No | Yes |
| Availability | Intermittent | Airports and major stations | Always |
| Top up with a foreign card | No — cash only | No — cash only | Yes, in-app |
Welcome Suica has a hard 28-day life and no refund of the remaining balance, so load it in small increments toward the end of your trip. Because availability changes, confirm the current position with the issuer before relying on buying a physical card on arrival.
Should you use your phone instead?
If your phone supports it, yes. A mobile IC card sidesteps the deposit, the refund journey, and any stock problem, and it is the only version that can be topped up with a foreign card rather than cash.
The requirements are specific. Recent iPhones support Suica through the Wallet app, including adding one before you arrive. Android support requires a device with Japanese FeliCa hardware, which most phones sold outside Japan do not have — an ordinary Android bought elsewhere generally cannot do this. Check your model before planning around it.
Topping up
- Station machines — every station, cash only for physical cards, ¥1,000 minimum.
- Convenience store tills — hand the card and cash to the cashier and say the amount.
- In-app — mobile cards only, and the one route that accepts a foreign credit card.
A useful habit: station top-up machines accept coins, so pushing a heavy pocket of ¥100 and ¥500 coins onto the card converts dead weight into transport.
Things that go wrong
- Gate rejects you on exit — insufficient balance. Use the fare adjustment machine before the gates, or the staffed window.
- You forgot to tap in — go to the staffed window, not the gate. Staff resolve this routinely.
- Card demagnetised or unreadable — a registered card can be reissued; an unregistered one cannot, and the balance is lost.
- Two cards in one wallet — the gate reads both and errors. Keep only one IC card in the wallet you tap with.
For what to do with the balance at the end of the trip, see how much cash to bring to Japan; for the wider payment picture, money in Japan.
Spending three days or more on the subway? Compare pay-as-you-go with the Tokyo Subway Ticket, which covers every Tokyo Metro and Toei line for ¥1,000 to ¥2,000.
Sources
Data checked: 2026-09-29
