Welcome Suica vs TOURIST PASMO vs ICOCA: Which to Get

If you land in Tokyo and want a tap-and-go card the same hour, get a Welcome Suica or a TOURIST PASMO; if you land in Osaka or Kyoto, get an ICOCA. The choice matters far less than most guides imply, because all ten major Japanese IC cards are accepted on each other’s networks. What you are really choosing between is a deposit-free card that dies after 28 days and a normal card that costs a refundable ¥500 (as of September 2026) but keeps working on your next trip.

This guide sets out what each card actually is, what it costs as of September 2026, where you can collect one on arrival, and when the answer is to skip the plastic entirely and use your phone.

Do you even need to choose? Ten IC cards, one network

Japan’s transport IC cards are mutually accepted. Tokyo Monorail’s official list of usable cards names Kitaca, PASMO, Suica, manaca, TOICA, PiTaPa, ICOCA, Hayakaken, nimoca and SUGOCA, all usable at its gates with fares deducted from the stored balance. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) puts it the same way: these cards “can be used nationwide” for travel and small purchases.

So an ICOCA bought in Osaka taps through a Tokyo subway gate, and a Suica bought in Tokyo works on a Kyoto bus. Your decision is about issuance — where you can buy the card, what it costs, and whether you can get money back — not about coverage.

Two limits are worth knowing before you build a trip around the card. JNTO notes that some areas of Japan do not accept IC cards at all, and neither do certain services such as highway buses. And Tokyo Monorail’s page flags a real asymmetry for lost cards: it accepts re-issue applications for Suica and PASMO, but states that lost or faulty cards of the other IC brands are not re-issued. A lost ICOCA in Tokyo is simply gone, along with its balance.

What are Welcome Suica, TOURIST PASMO and ICOCA?

Welcome Suica is JR East’s short-term card for visitors. JNTO describes it as a “deposit-free card for tourists at certain places in the Kanto area, which is valid for up to 28 days.” JR East’s own pages are the authority on which counters sell it on any given day, so confirm current sales points with JR East when you arrive rather than relying on a list that may be months old.

TOURIST PASMO is the equivalent from PASMO, the card used by Tokyo’s private railways, subways and buses. PASMO’s official page says it is valid for 28 days from the date of purchase, that no deposit is required, and that “value added to TOURIST PASMO will not be refunded.”

ICOCA is JR West’s card and is not a tourist product at all — it is the standard card a resident of Osaka would carry. JR West sells it for ¥2,000 including a ¥500 deposit, with some ticket machines also issuing ¥1,000, ¥3,000, ¥5,000 and ¥10,000 versions that likewise include the ¥500 deposit (prices as of September 2026).

Welcome Suica vs TOURIST PASMO vs ICOCA compared

Where the table says a figure is not stated, that is deliberate. JR East’s Welcome Suica pages were not reachable while this article was written, so the Welcome Suica price tiers and balance-refund rules are not asserted here; check them with JR East before you count on either.

Where can you buy each card on arrival?

Haneda Airport. PASMO’s official page lists TOURIST PASMO on sale at the Keikyu stations under the terminals: ticket machines for travellers at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 stations, which it says accept credit cards, plus the Keikyu Tourist Information Center and machines at Terminal 3 station. Denominations there run ¥1,000, ¥2,000, ¥3,000, ¥4,000, ¥5,000 and ¥10,000 (as of September 2026).

Narita Airport. The same page lists the SKYLINER & KEISEI INFORMATION CENTER at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 stations — and notes that at Narita, TOURIST PASMO is sold in one denomination only, ¥2,000 (as of September 2026).

Kansai and the west. ICOCA is sold at JR West ticket machines carrying the ICOCA mark and at most Midori no Madoguchi staffed windows in the ICOCA area. One detail catches people out: JR West’s page states plainly that you cannot buy an ICOCA with a credit card. Have cash ready, which is the opposite of the traveller machines at Haneda.

If you arrive late and want a human being rather than a machine, the airport’s own service list is worth checking first. Haneda’s official page says the Terminal 3 Tourist Information Center on the 2F arrival lobby is open 24 hours and handles JR tickets and sightseeing tickets, while the Terminal 2 counter runs 05:45–23:00 and Terminal 1 has no tourist information counter at all.

Should you skip the card and put a pass on your phone instead?

For many visitors with a recent iPhone, this is the better answer. Apple’s support documentation says you can add a Suica, PASMO, ICOCA or TOICA card to Apple Wallet, either by creating a new card on the device or by transferring a physical one — and that a transferred physical card stops working afterwards. Apple lists iPhone 8 or later (iPhone 7 or later for Suica) and Apple Watch Series 3 or later, and notes you can hold a transit card on only one device at a time and cannot move it mid-journey.

JR East also publishes a Welcome Suica Mobile app for visitors. Its App Store listing, published by East Japan Railway Company, states that the balance “expires 180 days after issuance”, that “refunds are not available, so please use up any remaining balance at airports, stations, and other stores”, and that top-ups go through the credit card registered to Apple Pay. It is iPhone-only and lists iOS 17.2 or later. One practical warning in the listing: you cannot use Suica when your device is powered off.

The honest caveat is compatibility. JNTO notes that phone-based IC cards “may not work on all smartphones” — Japan’s transit system uses FeliCa hardware, and a handset bought outside Japan may not support it. If your phone cannot do it, a plastic card is not a consolation prize; it is the normal way to travel.

One connectivity point, since phone cards live on the network: topping up in Wallet needs a working internet connection, so if your plan is a phone-based card, sort your data out before you are standing at a gate with a ¥0 balance. Tapping through a gate itself does not need data — the balance is on the secure chip — but adding money does.

Which card should you get?

A one-week Tokyo trip, first visit. Either tourist card is fine. TOURIST PASMO has the advantage of documented, airport-side sales points and credit-card machines at Haneda; its trade-off is that anything you load is gone for good if you do not spend it, so top up in small amounts near the end.

Flying into Kansai. Get an ICOCA. You pay ¥500 more than a tourist card up front (as of September 2026), but that ¥500 comes back if you return the card, and the balance is refundable at JR West windows less the ¥220 fee.

You expect to return to Japan. Get a standard card rather than a tourist one. Tokyo Monorail’s English Suica page confirms the ¥500 deposit (as of September 2026) is refunded if you return the card — so you can also simply keep the card, leave a balance on it, and start your next trip already tapping.

A trip longer than four weeks. The 28-day limit rules out both tourist cards for the tail of your trip. A standard Suica, PASMO or ICOCA has no such short window.

You already have Suica or PASMO in your phone’s wallet. Skip all three. Nothing in the tourist cards gives you a capability your existing digital card lacks, and a second card just splits your money across two balances.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use an ICOCA in Tokyo, or a Suica in Kyoto?

Yes. The major IC card brands are mutually accepted, and Tokyo Monorail lists ICOCA, PASMO, Suica, TOICA, manaca, PiTaPa, Kitaca, SUGOCA, nimoca and Hayakaken among the cards usable at its gates. JNTO likewise describes these cards as usable nationwide.

Can I get my money back at the end of the trip?

It depends on the card. PASMO states that value added to a TOURIST PASMO is not refunded. A standard PASMO can be refunded at a station or bus operator office, where you receive the balance plus the ¥500 deposit, and just the ¥500 if the balance is zero. For ICOCA, JR West deducts a ¥220 handling fee and returns the ¥500 deposit; if the refundable amount is no more than the fee, you get only the deposit back (all figures as of September 2026).

Where can I refund an ICOCA?

JR West’s refund page lists Midori no Madoguchi windows, Midori no Kenbaiki Plus machines and pink ticket machines inside its ICOCA area. That is a practical trap if you buy an ICOCA in Osaka and fly home from Narita: plan the refund for a JR West station, or accept that the balance stays on the card.

What is the maximum I can load onto a card?

PASMO’s pages say a card cannot be topped up if the balance would exceed ¥20,000, and that on a bus you can add ¥1,000 at a time using ¥1,000 notes only, up to a balance limit of ¥10,001 (limits as of September 2026).

Do I need a passport to buy one?

The pages opened for this article do not require a passport for an adult card. JR West asks for official identification only for the children’s ICOCA, to verify the child’s name and date of birth. Rules can change, so carry your passport on arrival day anyway.

The short version

Coverage is not the deciding factor, because the cards all work on each other’s networks. Pick on issuance and money: a tourist card if you want zero deposit, zero paperwork and a souvenir, accepting that leftover value on a TOURIST PASMO is lost; a standard ICOCA, Suica or PASMO if you want the ¥500 deposit back (as of September 2026), a refundable balance, or a card that outlives 28 days. And if your phone supports Japanese transit cards, the digital route usually beats all three.

Sources

• TOURIST PASMO — PASMO Co., Ltd. (accessed 2026-09-26)
• Purchasing PASMO — PASMO Co., Ltd. (accessed 2026-09-26)
• Using PASMO — PASMO Co., Ltd. (accessed 2026-09-26)
• How to buy ICOCA and Kodomo ICOCA — JR West (JR Odekake Net) (accessed 2026-09-26)
• ICOCA refunds — JR West (JR Odekake Net) (accessed 2026-09-26)
• IC Travel Cards (Suica, PASMO and others) — Japan National Tourism Organization (accessed 2026-09-26)
• How to travel by train and bus in Japan — Japan National Tourism Organization (accessed 2026-09-26)
• Usable IC card tickets — Tokyo Monorail (accessed 2026-09-26)
• Suica information — Tokyo Monorail (accessed 2026-09-26)
• Welcome Suica Mobile app listing — East Japan Railway Company, via the App Store (accessed 2026-09-26)
• Add a transit card to Apple Wallet in Japan — Apple (accessed 2026-09-26)
• Tourist Information counters — Haneda Airport Passenger Terminal (accessed 2026-09-26)