Suica, ICOCA or Tourist Pasmo? Japan IC Cards for Visitors (2026)
Which transit card to get, mobile vs physical, why most overseas Android phones can't use Mobile Suica, and what to do about it.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend.
If you’ve read three articles about Suica and they all said something different, that’s not you. Japan ran short of the chips for IC cards in 2023, suspended sales, brought them back, launched mobile versions, and in 2026 added a new tourist card. Here’s the current state, in one place.
What an IC card is
A rechargeable tap-to-pay card (or phone wallet) that works on virtually all trains, subways and buses nationwide, plus convenience stores, vending machines and many shops. You tap in, tap out, and the fare is deducted. No ticket machines, no fare tables, no fumbling.
The cards are interchangeable. Suica (JR East, Tokyo), ICOCA (JR West, Osaka/Kyoto) and Pasmo (Tokyo private lines) all work everywhere in the shared network. Get whichever is in front of you.
Mobile or physical? Depends on your phone
| Your phone | Get |
|---|---|
| iPhone (XS/XR or newer, any country) | Mobile Suica or Pasmo in Apple Wallet. Set it up before you fly. Top up with your credit card. |
| Android bought in Japan | Mobile Suica / Pasmo in Google Wallet |
| Android bought outside Japan | Usually a physical card — see why below |
Why most overseas Androids can’t
Japan’s tap gates use a chip called FeliCa. Japanese-market phones have it; most phones sold elsewhere don’t, even expensive flagships. No chip = no Mobile Suica, no matter what the app store says. Some recent Pixel models sold overseas have gained support — check your exact model — but assume no unless proven otherwise, and plan on a physical card.
Setting up Mobile Suica on iPhone (before you fly)
- Wallet app → + → Transit Card → Suica (or Pasmo)
- Choose an amount, pay with the card in Apple Pay
- Done. Hold the phone to the gate; no need to unlock or open the app (Express Transit)
JR East also offers the Welcome Suica Mobile app made specifically for visitors — handy if the Wallet route gives you trouble with a foreign card. Either way, do this on home Wi-Fi, not at the airport.
Keep some physical-card knowledge anyway: if your battery dies, you’re stuck at the gate. Carry a bit of cash as backup.
Physical cards: where and which
- At Kansai Airport: ICOCA from the JR or Nankai ticket machines in the airport station. There’s a tourist version and the regular one; both work the same.
- At Narita / Haneda: Welcome Suica (no deposit, 28-day validity, non-refundable balance) or regular Suica/Pasmo when in stock.
- Tourist Pasmo (new in May 2026): a visitor card introduced this year in the Tokyo area. Same network, same taps.
- Anywhere else: JR ticket offices and machines at major stations.
Regular cards take a ¥500 deposit, refundable at a ticket office when you leave (minus a small fee on the balance). Tourist versions skip the deposit but aren’t refundable — use up the balance at a konbini on your last day.
Topping up
- Mobile: in Wallet, any time, anywhere.
- Physical: cash only at the pink/green charge machines in stations and at konbini registers (“charge, please”). Foreign credit cards generally don’t work for physical-card top-ups.
Do I still need an IC card if I have a JR Pass?
Yes. The JR Pass covers JR trains. It does not cover Tokyo Metro, Osaka Metro, Kyoto buses, private railways or most city buses — which is most of what you ride inside a city. Nearly everyone carries both.
Not sure the JR Pass is worth it at all? Many visitors overpay for it. Read JR Pass: worth it in 2026? before you buy.
What an IC card doesn’t do
- Shinkansen reserved seats — buy those separately (SmartEX app or ticket office). Some IC cards can be linked to Shinkansen ticketing, but for a tourist it’s simpler to buy the ticket.
- Long-distance limited expresses like the Haruka from Kansai Airport — need a separate express ticket; the IC card covers only the base fare portion.
Osaka note: locals here use ICOCA, but your Suica works identically. Nobody will blink.
Next: Kansai Airport to Osaka or Kyoto · Best eSIM for Japan