Suica Card Guide 2026 — How to Buy, Charge & Use Japan's IC Cards

What is Suica?

Suica is a rechargeable contactless smart card issued by JR East (East Japan Railway Company). It works as both a transit pass and an electronic wallet, making it the single most useful item for traveling in Japan.

Suica is interoperable with all other major IC cards in Japan (PASMO, ICOCA, manaca, TOICA, etc.), so one Suica card works nationwide — from Hokkaido to Kyushu.

Why you need it: No more buying individual tickets at machines. Just tap and go through the gates. It also works at convenience stores, vending machines, and restaurants.

How to Get a Suica

1. Welcome Suica (For Tourists)

A special Suica designed for international visitors — no deposit required.

• Where to buy: JR East Travel Service Centers at Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, Tokyo Station, and other major stations
• Validity: 28 days from purchase date
• Price: ¥1,000 / ¥2,000 / ¥5,000 / ¥10,000 (entire amount is usable balance)
• Design: Limited edition cherry blossom design

2. Mobile Suica (Smartphone) — Recommended

The most convenient option. No physical card needed, and you can set it up before arriving in Japan.

iPhone (Apple Pay):

1. Open the Wallet app
2. Tap the ”+” button
3. Select “Transit Card” → “Suica”
4. Enter the amount to charge (pay with credit card)

Android (Google Pay):

1. Install Google Wallet
2. Add “Transit Card” → “Suica”
3. Enter the amount to charge

Pro tip: International Visa/Mastercard credit cards are accepted. Set it up on the plane and start using it the moment you land!

3. Physical Suica Card (Ticket Machine)

Available at JR East station ticket machines.

• Price: ¥2,000 (includes ¥500 refundable deposit, ¥1,500 usable balance)
• Where: Black multi-function ticket machines at JR East stations
• Languages: English, Chinese, Korean available

How to buy:

1. Switch the machine language to “English”
2. Select “Purchase new Suica”
3. Choose amount (¥2,000–¥10,000)
4. Insert cash
5. Take your card

Arriving at the Airport

Narita Airport

1. After passing through customs, follow signs to the JR East Travel Service Center (Terminal 1 B1F or Terminal 2/3 B1F)
2. Set up Mobile Suica on your phone (fastest option), or purchase a Welcome Suica at the counter
3. Charge at least ¥3,000 — the Narita Express to Tokyo costs ¥3,070
4. Head to the JR platform and tap through the gate

Haneda Airport

1. Follow signs to the monorail or Keikyu Line platforms
2. Both accept Suica — set up Mobile Suica before landing, or buy Welcome Suica at the JR counter
3. Charge at least ¥1,000 — the trip to central Tokyo costs around ¥500–700

How to Use Suica

Riding Trains & Subways

1. Touch your Suica on the blue reader at the ticket gate
2. You’ll hear a “beep” and the gate opens
3. At your destination, touch again to exit
4. The fare is automatically calculated and deducted

Note: If your balance is insufficient, the gate won’t open. Use the fare adjustment machine inside the station or add more credit.

Riding Buses

• Pay-on-entry buses (Tokyo city buses): Touch when boarding — fare is deducted immediately
• Pay-on-exit buses (regional): Touch when boarding AND when getting off

Paying at Stores

Just say “Suica de” (Suica, please) at the register and touch the reader.

Works at:

• Convenience stores (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson)
• Vending machines (look for the IC card symbol)
• Drugstores (Matsumoto Kiyoshi, etc.)
• Station shops and restaurants

How to Charge (Top Up)

At Ticket Machines

1. Press “Charge”
2. Insert or touch your Suica
3. Select amount (¥1,000 / ¥2,000 / ¥3,000 / ¥5,000 / ¥10,000)
4. Insert cash
5. Take your card

Mobile Suica

• Charge instantly from a credit card within the app
• Works through Apple Pay / Google Pay
• Available 24/7 from anywhere — the biggest advantage

Maximum balance: Suica can hold up to ¥20,000.

PASMO — For Private Railway & Subway Users

PASMO is an IC card issued by Tokyo Metro and private railway companies. It is fully interoperable with Suica and works identically at all the same locations.

Suica vs. PASMO

	Suica	PASMO
Issuer	JR East	Private railways & subways
Where it works	Nationwide IC card areas	Same
Green Car tickets	Purchase via Mobile Suica	❌ Not supported
Mobile support	iPhone / Android	iPhone / Android

Bottom line: Functionally almost identical, but Suica is better for hikers who want to use Green Cars, since Mobile Suica lets you buy Green Car tickets directly.

PASMO Passport (For Tourists)

Similar to Welcome Suica, designed for international visitors.

• Where to buy: Private railway counters at Narita and Haneda airports
• Validity: 28 days from purchase
• Deposit: Not required

ICOCA — For Kansai & Beyond

ICOCA is issued by JR West. If you’re arriving at Kansai Airport (KIX), ICOCA is easier to buy than Suica at the airport.

Key Features

• Available at Kansai Airport: JR West ticket offices and machines
• Works nationwide: Use it in Tokyo just like Suica
• Great for Kansai hiking: Mt. Rokko, Mt. Hiei, Mt. Kongo and more

IC Card Interoperability

IC Card	Home Area	Works in Tokyo?	Works in Kansai?
Suica	Tokyo (JR East)	✅	✅
PASMO	Tokyo (Private/Subway)	✅	✅
ICOCA	Kansai (JR West)	✅	✅
manaca	Nagoya	✅	✅
TOICA	Shizuoka/Nagoya (JR Central)	✅	✅

Note: Any of these IC cards works at major transit systems nationwide. However, cross-region direct rides may not always be supported (e.g., using Suica to ride directly from a JR East area into a JR West area without exiting).

Suica vs. Japan Rail Pass

	Suica	Japan Rail Pass
Best for	Tokyo area + day hikes	Multiple Shinkansen trips
Cost	Pay per ride	¥50,000+ (7-day pass)
Covers	Trains, buses, stores	JR trains only
Flexibility	Use anywhere, anytime	Fixed validity period
Hiking access	All lines + local buses	JR lines only (no private railways)

For hikers staying in the Tokyo area: Suica is almost always the better choice. A typical day-hike round trip costs ¥1,500–3,000, far below the break-even point for a rail pass. The rail pass also doesn’t cover private railways (Keio, Odakyu, Seibu) that serve many trailheads.

Suica on Apple Watch & Wearables

You can use Suica directly from your Apple Watch:

1. On your iPhone, open the Watch app
2. Go to Wallet & Apple Pay → Add Card → Transit Card → Suica
3. Transfer your existing Suica or create a new one
4. At the gate, double-click the side button and hold your wrist near the reader

Tip: Set Suica as your “Express Transit Card” on Apple Watch — this lets you tap without waking the screen or authenticating, just like a physical card.

Tips for Hikers

Mountain Area Stations

For hiking near Tokyo, Suica works at virtually all stations you’ll use:

Destination	Train Line	Suica
Mt. Takao	Keio Line / JR Chuo Line	✅
Mt. Jinba	JR Chuo Line (Fujino Station)	✅
Mt. Sekirozan	JR Chuo Line (Sagamiko Station) + bus	✅
Mt. Mitake	JR Ome Line	✅
Mt. Kumotori	JR Ome Line (Okutama Station) + bus	✅
Mt. Oyama	Odakyu Line	✅
Mt. Tanzawa	Odakyu Line (Shibusawa Station) + bus	✅
Mt. Tsukuba	Tsukuba Express	✅
Mt. Nokogiri	JR Uchibo Line	✅
Chichibu area	Seibu Chichibu Line	✅

Important: While train stations accept Suica, mountain huts and trailhead shops are almost always cash-only. Always carry ¥1,000–¥2,000 in cash for the mountains.

Suica + Hiking Access

Suica makes accessing trailheads seamless:

• Chuo Line to Takao, Sagamiko, Otsuki — all Suica-compatible
• Ome Line to Mitake, Okutama — all Suica-compatible
• Odakyu Line to Hadano/Isehara for Mt. Oyama — Suica-compatible

Can I Use Suica on the Shinkansen?

Not directly. Suica cannot be used to ride the Shinkansen (bullet train) by itself. However, there are workarounds:

• Smart EX app: Register your Suica in the Smart EX app to ride the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen ticketless
• EX-IC service: For frequent Shinkansen users with a Japanese credit card
• Regular tickets: Buy Shinkansen tickets normally at the counter or machine, then use Suica for local train connections

For hikers: This is rarely an issue. Most hiking destinations near Tokyo are accessible by regular JR trains covered by Suica. The Shinkansen is only needed for distant mountains like those in Nagano or Niigata.

Getting a Refund

Physical Suica Card

Visit a JR East Midori-no-Madoguchi (ticket office) before leaving Japan.

• Refund: Remaining balance − ¥220 processing fee + ¥500 deposit
• What to bring: Suica card, passport (for Welcome Suica)
• If balance is ¥220 or less: No processing fee, just ¥500 deposit returned

Mobile Suica

• Process the refund within the app
• Remaining balance is returned to your registered credit card

Summary

• Mobile Suica is the best option — no card to buy, charge anytime from your phone
• One tap for trains, buses, and shopping
• All major hiking access lines accept Suica
• Carry cash for mountain huts — they don’t accept IC cards
• Suica is best for Green Car users — buy Green Car tickets directly from the app
• Get a refund before you leave, or just keep it for your next trip!

Related Guides

• 🚃 Chuo Line Green Car Guide — Buy Green Car tickets with Suica
• 🚃 Tokaido Line Green Car Guide — Tanzawa & Hakone area
• 🎫 Hiker’s Free Pass Comparison Guide — Best value tickets