Regional (and Interchangeable!) IC Cards
Suica/Pasmo
©Andrew Currie,https://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/flicker/, CC BY-SA 2.0,https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewcurrie/8617797399
Supplementing your Japan Rail Pass
IC Cards are a great way to zip through Japan's city transportation systems. Learn more about how they can help you and your Japan Rail Pass here!
IC Cards
IC Cards are really useful pre-paid transportation cards offered in major cities in Japan. When riding non-JR trains, these are a great way to supplement your JR Pass!
Although the brand of IC Card you get differs depending on the city in which you buy it, as of March 2013, all IC Cards are compatible with each other.
Interchangeable ic cards
The following is a list of IC cards that can be used interchangeably (and the regions from which they originate):
- Suica (JR East) - Tokyo
- Pasmo (Pasmo council) - Tokyo
- New : Pasmo Passport - Tokyo
- Icoca (JR West) - Kansai
- PiTaPa (KANSAI THRU PASS) - Kansai
- Toica (JR Central ) - Nagoya
- Manaca (City of Nagoya Transportaiton) - Nagoya
- Kitaca (JR Hokkaido) - Sapporo
- Sugoca ( JR Kyushu) - Fukuoka
- nimoca (Nishitetsu and others) - Kyushu
- Hayakaken (Fukuoka City Subway) - Fukuoka
IC Pasmo/Suica
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Important notes
Please take care of the following points when traveling Japan with an IC Card:
- You cannot travel long distances between IC Card Regions using an IC Card (for example, from Nagoya to Tokyo)
- You cannot use airport buses or highway buses with an IC Card
- Kyoto city buses do not yet accept IC cards
For a detailed list of where you can and cannot use an IC card, please check this chart.
