For almost every visitor in 2026 the answer is a Suica in your phone, not a plastic card. iPhone users add one to Apple Wallet in about two minutes and top it up with the same card they use for everything else. Travelers on a non-Japanese Android still need a physical Welcome Suica from the airport. Either way, one tap covers trains, subways, buses, convenience stores and coin lockers across the country.
The short answer
Put a Mobile Suica in your iPhone's Apple Wallet before you fly and recharge it with your normal credit card through Apple Pay. That's the cheapest, fastest setup, with no deposit and no airport queue. If your phone is an Android registered outside Japan, you can't add a mobile IC card — grab a physical Welcome Suica at Narita or Haneda instead. Pasmo does the identical job; pick whichever your phone offers first.
Suica on iPhone: the 2-minute setup
Open the Wallet app, tap the plus button, choose Transit Card, then Suica, and add any amount — there is no deposit on the digital version. You can fund it with most overseas Visa, Mastercard and Amex cards via Apple Pay. No Japanese bank, no separate app and no registration are needed to ride, and Apple Watch works too. Do this at home on Wi-Fi so you tap straight through the gates the minute you arrive.
Welcome Suica Mobile: the new tourist card (2026)
Launched by JR East in 2025, Welcome Suica Mobile is a free, iPhone-only tourist version with no deposit and 180-day validity — far longer than the 28-day physical card. You issue it from the app after you land, skipping the airport counter entirely. As of spring 2026 it can also book Green Car and Shinkansen reserved seats in-app. It needs an iPhone XR or newer running iOS 17.2 or later.
Android & physical cards: what's actually available
Mobile Suica and Pasmo only work on phones set to a Japanese region, so a typical overseas Android can't add one — you'll carry a physical card. The easiest tourist pickup is the Welcome Suica, sold to visitors at Narita and Haneda with no deposit and 28-day validity. As of May 2026 there's also the new Tourist Pasmo, with the same no-deposit, 28-day terms. Regular unregistered Suica and Pasmo sales fully resumed in March 2025 after the chip shortage, so those plain cards are available again too — but for a first-timer the tourist versions are the simplest grab.
Recharging with a foreign card
Two different realities. In Apple Wallet you top up Mobile Suica with an overseas card through Apple Pay — any amount, anywhere, in seconds. Physical cards are stricter: station fare-adjustment and ticket machines take cash only for top-ups, in ¥1,000 steps, so keep some yen on you. A few convenience-store registers will recharge a physical card with cash as well. This single difference is the strongest argument for going mobile if your phone allows it.
| Option | Device | Deposit | Validity | Foreign-card recharge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Suica / Pasmo | iPhone (any region) | ¥0 | Ongoing | Yes (Apple Pay) |
| Welcome Suica Mobile | iPhone XR+ only | ¥0 | 180 days | Yes (Apple Pay) |
| Physical Welcome Suica | Plastic card | ¥0 | 28 days | No (cash) |
| Tourist Pasmo | Plastic card | ¥0 | 28 days | No (cash) |
Where IC cards work beyond trains
An IC balance is basically a tap-to-pay wallet. It covers JR, subways and almost every city bus, plus convenience stores, vending machines, coin lockers, many taxis and a lot of casual restaurants. Thanks to nationwide interoperability, a Suica bought in Tokyo works on transit in Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo and beyond. The few exceptions are some rural lines and local buses that still want cash, so keep a small balance and a few coins on hand.
IC card vs single tickets vs a rail pass
Use an IC card for everything local — city subways, buses and short JR hops — and skip paper tickets per ride, which cost the same and waste time at machines. An IC card is not a substitute for long-distance value, though: for the Shinkansen and intercity runs you either pay per trip or weigh a regional pass. Our regional JR Pass matrix shows exactly when that math works. Most trips use an IC card daily and a pass only sometimes.
Frequently asked questions
Suica or Pasmo — does it matter?
No. They are issued by different companies but share one nationwide system, so either works on the same trains, buses and shops. Pick whichever your phone or the nearest machine offers. The only practical tie-breaker is your phone: add Mobile Suica on iPhone, since it's the smoother of the two in Apple Wallet.
Can I get a refund before I leave?
Physical cards can be refunded at JR ticket offices, but Welcome Suica is non-refundable and just expires after 28 days. For Mobile Suica there is nothing to return — you simply stop using it, and any small balance isn't worth chasing. Load in modest top-ups near the end of your trip so you don't strand cash on the card.
Do my kids need their own cards?
Yes, if they're aged 6 to 11 and you want the child fare, which is roughly half. Children's IC cards exist but usually require registration at a station office with proof of age, so many families simply buy child paper tickets for the few train rides involved. Under-6s travel free and need nothing.
Does my Tokyo Suica work in Osaka and Kyoto?
Yes. Interoperability means a Suica bought anywhere works on trains, subways and most buses in Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo, Fukuoka and the other major regions, plus convenience stores nationwide. You do not need a separate Icoca for Kansai. The only gaps are a handful of rural lines that remain cash-only.
