Japan Transit IC Cards Complete Overview — Quick Answer Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, nimoca & SUGOCA Compatibility

⚡ 30-second takeaway: Japan IC card top 10 brands = ①Suica (JR East, nationwide mutual use) ②PASMO (Tokyo private rail, same) ③ICOCA (JR West, same) ④TOICA (JR Central) ⑤manaca (Nagoya) ⑥SUGOCA (JR Kyushu) ⑦nimoca (Nishitetsu) ⑧Hayakaken (Fukuoka City Subway) ⑨Kitaca (JR Hokkaido) ⑩OkICA (Okinawa). Nationwide mutual use OK — for tourists, Suica is the strongest pick.

Quick reference	Value
Suica	JR East, strongest
PASMO	Tokyo private rail
ICOCA	Kansai
nimoca	Fukuoka
OkICA	Okinawa
Last verified	June 2026

30-second takeaway

Japan's IC cards work nationwide thanks to mutual use, so a single Suica or PASMO lets tourists use trains, buses, and shops across the country.

🎫 Major IC cards Top 10

1️⃣ Suica (JR East)

• Issuer: JR East
• Area: Centered on Kanto
• Highlights: Nationwide mutual use
• Apple Wallet: Supported

2️⃣ PASMO (Tokyo Metro / private rail)

• Issuer: Tokyo private rail
• Area: Kanto
• Highlights: Equivalent to Suica

3️⃣ ICOCA (JR West)

• Issuer: JR West
• Area: Centered on Kansai
• Highlights: Nationwide mutual use

4️⃣ TOICA (JR Central)

• Issuer: JR Central
• Area: Nagoya region

5️⃣ manaca

• Issuer: Meitetsu + Nagoya City Transportation Bureau
• Area: Nagoya region

6️⃣ SUGOCA (JR Kyushu)

• Issuer: JR Kyushu
• Area: Centered on Kyushu

7️⃣ nimoca (Nishitetsu)

• Issuer: Nishi-Nippon Railroad (Fukuoka)
• Area: Fukuoka + Kyushu

8️⃣ Hayakaken (Fukuoka City Subway)

• Issuer: Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau
• Area: Inside Fukuoka City

9️⃣ Kitaca (JR Hokkaido)

• Issuer: JR Hokkaido
• Area: Hokkaido

🔟 OkICA (Okinawa)

• Issuer: Okinawa Yui Rail
• Area: Okinawa
• Highlights: Okinawa-only system

🔄 Nationwide mutual use

The main 9

• Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, TOICA, manaca, SUGOCA, nimoca, Hayakaken, Kitaca
• All mutually usable nationwide

OkICA

• Okinawa-local
• Not usable on mainland
• Suica/PASMO work in Okinawa

How it works

• Any IC card can be used nationwide
• One card covers everything

💴 How to buy

Station ticket machines

• JR stations: Suica
• Tokyo Metro: PASMO
• Issue fee: ¥500 deposit

Welcome Suica (for tourists)

• No ¥500 deposit
• Valid for 28 days
• At airports + major stations

Apple Wallet

• Add the card via the iPhone app
• No physical card needed
• 24h top-up

Google Pay

• Android supported too
• Suica/PASMO

💰 Pricing structure

Deposit

• ¥500: Physical card
• ¥0: Welcome Suica / Apple Wallet

Top-up

• ¥1,000-50,000
• In ¥1,000 increments

Minimum balance

• ¥0 OK to enter trains: After tapping the gate

Maximum balance

• ¥20,000

🎫 Welcome Suica for tourists

Features

• Zero deposit
• Valid for 28 days
• Use-and-dispose
• Multi-language

Where to buy

• Haneda Airport
• Narita Airport
• Major JR stations

Price

• From ¥2,000-3,000: Includes initial balance
• Up to ¥10,000

Ideal for tourists

• Available at airports
• Multi-language support
• OK to discard when done

🌐 Where you can use it

Transit

• JR nationwide
• Private rail nationwide
• Subways nationwide
• Buses
• Shinkansen (partial)

Shopping

• Convenience stores nationwide
• Vending machines
• Many cafes and restaurants
• Drugstores
• Supermarkets

Sightseeing

• Admission fees: Some venues
• Taxis: Some support

Overseas

• Apple Wallet Suica: Hawaii and parts of Taiwan

📱 Apple Wallet Suica

Benefits

• No physical card needed
• Zero deposit
• 24h top-up
• Overseas-issued iPhones supported

Setup

1. iPhone Settings > Wallet
2. Add Suica card
3. Top up

For tourists

• Overseas iPhones OK
• Switch language in-app

💳 Top-up methods

Station ticket machines

• ¥1,000 increments
• 24h at many stations

Convenience stores

• ¥1,000-10,000
• 24h

Apple Wallet

• In-app: 24h
• Credit card

Mobile Suica

• App
• Online

🌐 Tourist playbook

1. Welcome Suica

• Tourist-focused
• Buy at the airport

2. Apple Wallet

• Overseas iPhones OK
• Zero deposit

3. Multi-language support

• JR official app: Multi-language
• Tourist information centers

4. Refunds

• JR stations: On your way home
• ¥500 deposit refunded

5. As a souvenir

• Physical cards: A travel keepsake

🌐 Recommendations by nationality

🇺🇸 American visitors

• Welcome Suica: At the airport
• Apple Wallet: Overseas iPhones OK

🇨🇳 Chinese visitors

• Physical Suica: As a keepsake
• Apple Wallet: Increasing

🇰🇷 Korean visitors

• Apple Wallet
• Welcome Suica

🇪🇺 European visitors

• Apple Wallet: Mainstream

🇮🇳 Indian visitors

• Welcome Suica
• Physical card

🛂 Refunds

JR stations

• ¥500 deposit + balance - ¥220 fee
• For tourists: Before flying home

Validity

• 10 years: Card validity
• Refund earlier rather than later

Welcome Suica

• No refund
• Use-and-dispose

⚠️ Things to note

Lost cards

• Reissue available: Physical cards
• At JR stations: ¥1,000

Insufficient balance

• A "ping-pong" sound at the gate
• You need to top up

Overseas-issued cards

• Via Apple Pay: OK
• Widely supported

Expiration

• 10 years: Validity
• Renewable

🌐 Multi-language support

Official apps

• JR East app: Multi-language
• Suica top-up

Stations

• Multi-language signage
• Tourist support

💡 Recommended patterns for tourists

Short stay (1 week)

• Welcome Suica: ¥3-5K loaded
• Use-and-dispose

Mid stay (2-4 weeks)

• Physical Suica + Apple Wallet
• ¥10-20K loaded

Long stay (1-3 months)

• Physical Suica: ¥500 deposit
• Large balance loaded

5 mistakes tourists often make

1. Trying to use OkICA on the mainland: Doesn't work
2. Insufficient balance blocks the gate
3. Forgetting the refund: Before flying home
4. Forgetting to reclaim the ¥500 deposit
5. Getting lost setting up on an overseas iPhone

Pre-trip checklist

• Check iPhone Apple Wallet
• Plan to buy Welcome Suica
• Plan top-ups
• Download a multi-language app
• Note refund locations

FAQ

Q: What's the top recommendation?

A: Welcome Suica (short stay) + Apple Wallet (mid/long stay) + physical Suica (long stay) — pick by purpose.

Q: Usable nationwide?

A: 9 brands have nationwide mutual use, and only OkICA is Okinawa-local.

Q: Tourist discounts?

A: Nothing specific, but Welcome Suica is convenient.

Q: Usable overseas?

A: Apple Wallet Suica works in Hawaii and parts of Taiwan.

Q: Multi-language support?

A: JR's official app supports English, Chinese, Korean, and Apple Wallet is fully multi-language.

Editorial info: Yen Finder Editorial / Last verified June 2026. IC card specs change — please check JR East's official site (https://www.jreast.co.jp) for the latest details.