Tourists traveling to Japan will soon have a simpler way to get around—a prepaid transit card designed specifically for short-term visitors.
Pasmo Co, which issues cards for Tokyo’s widely used train system, will introduce the new card, valid for 28 days and accepted for cashless payments across the country.
Tourist Pasmo will be available at vending machines and ticket offices in major transportation hubs, including Tokyo’s two main airports. It enables tap-and-go travel across public transportation networks, as well as payments at many shops and vending systems. It can be recharged during the 28-day period, though any remaining balance is nonrefundable.
Pricing varies by airport. At Narita Airport, the card costs a flat 2,000 yen. At Haneda Airport, travelers can load between 1,000 yen and 10,000 yen at purchase.
Travel Is the Sweet Spot
The card is especially useful for first-time visitors navigating Japan’s extensive—and sometimes confusing—transit system. It simplifies access to trains, subways, and buses, reducing fare confusion and speeding up travel.
“At Javelin, we see a lot of trends in self-use of prepaid cards, and a plan like this matches several of the key reasons why individuals buy prepaid cards for personal use: convenience, budgeting and safety,” said Jordan Hirschfield, Director of Prepaid at Javelin Strategy & Research. “We also found that 25% of prepaid users do so to pay for expenses while traveling. By embracing these trends, this becomes a really novel approach to ease the burdens of travel and currency conversion.”
Hirschfield said he is not aware of other countries taking such a direct approach to prepaid travel tourist transit cards. Pasmo previously offered a similar product, Pasmo Passport, which was discontinued in 2024.
A Souvenir of Japan
Pasmo also hopes travelers will keep the card as a souvenir.
East Japan Railway offers a more limited alternative, Welcome Suica, which focuses on eastern Japan, and is available only on iPhone, not on Android devices.
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