Should you buy a day pass or just tap Suica / Pasmo / Icoca? Enter how many days you're spending in a city and your daily metro/bus rides to compare pay-as-you-go IC card spending (plus recommended preload amount) against popular city subway and regional passes. Read our IC Cards (Suica, Pasmo & Icoca) Guide.
Why IC cards almost always win for flexibility
- One tap across companies: Tokyo has JR East (Yamanote Line), Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, and private railways (Odakyu, Keio, Tokyu, Tobu, Keisei). Day passes only cover specific operators, whereas a Suica, Pasmo, or Icoca covers every single one seamlessly.
- Apple Wallet Suica / Pasmo / Icoca: iPhone users can add a digital Suica, Pasmo, or Icoca directly in Apple Wallet in 30 seconds and top up in yen with Visa, Mastercard, Amex, or Apple Pay—no physical card needed.
- When a pass truly pays off: the Tokyo Subway 72-Hour Ticket (¥1,500 — ¥500/day) is an unbeatable deal if your hotel is next to a Tokyo Metro or Toei station and you take 3+ subway rides a day.
Major Japan IC Cards & City Subway Day Passes Compared
| Card / Pass Name | Issued In | Works Nationwide? | Price / Deposit & Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suica / Welcome Suica (JR East) | Tokyo (Haneda, Narita, major JR stations) & Apple Wallet | Yes (all 10 major IC zones + konbini/vending) | Apple Wallet digital card is free to create; Welcome Suica has ¥0 deposit and is valid for 28 days. |
| PASMO (Tokyo Metro / Private Lines) | Tokyo & Yokohama + Apple Wallet | Yes (identical coverage to Suica) | Standard physical PASMO (¥500 refundable deposit) or instant Apple Wallet setup. |
| ICOCA (JR West) | Osaka (KIX), Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kanazawa & Apple Wallet | Yes (identical nationwide interoperability) | Readily available as a physical card (¥500 deposit) at Kansai Airport and Kyoto/Osaka stations, plus Apple Wallet. |
| Tokyo Subway 24 / 48 / 72-Hour Ticket | Tokyo Metro & Toei Subway stations | Tokyo Metro + Toei Subway only (not JR) | ¥800 (24h) / ¥1,200 (48h) / ¥1,500 (72h = ¥500/day) — pays off with just 3 subway rides per day. |
| Kyoto Subway & Bus 1-Day Pass | Kyoto Station & Subway stations | Kyoto Municipal Subway + City Buses | ¥1,100/day — pays off when combining subway lines (Karasuma/Tozai) with 2–3 connecting buses to Kinkaku-ji or Kiyomizu-dera. |
Frequently asked questions
Which IC card should I get in Japan—Suica, PASMO, or ICOCA—and do they work nationwide?
Japan's 10 major regional IC cards (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, Kitaca, TOICA, manaca, PiTaPa, Hayakaken, nimoca, and SUGOCA) are 100% cross-compatible on subways, JR urban lines, buses, and convenience stores across Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Hiroshima. If you have an iPhone or Apple Watch, add a digital Suica, PASMO, or ICOCA directly in Apple Wallet in 30 seconds with zero deposit.
How much yen should I load onto my Suica, PASMO, or ICOCA for a 7-to-14-day trip?
A typical sightseer taps ¥700–¥1,100 per day on urban subways and local JR lines plus ¥500–¥1,000 at vending machines and konbini. Starting with ¥3,000–¥5,000 per week of travel and topping up in ¥1,000 increments as needed keeps your balance flexible (remember the maximum balance on any IC card is ¥20,000).
Is the Tokyo Subway 24/48/72-Hour Ticket cheaper than paying per ride with Suica?
The Tokyo Subway 72-Hour Ticket costs ¥1,500 (just ¥500/day) and covers all 13 Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway lines. Since single subway fares are ¥180–¥330, taking 3 or more Tokyo Metro/Toei rides per day makes the 72-hour pass cheaper than paying per ride—though you will still use your Suica for JR Yamanote Line hops and private railways.
Can two travelers share a single Suica or IC card, or can I tap it for a Shinkansen ride?
No—every traveler aged 6 and older needs their own individual IC card (children aged 6–11 use a half-fare Child IC card issued at a ticket office with passport ID). You also cannot tap a standard unlinked IC card directly into a Shinkansen bullet-train gate unless you first link its 17-character IC ID number to a SmartEX or JR East Ekinet ticket reservation.