Getting around Japan

Tap cards for almost every train, subway and bus in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, plus convenience stores, vending machines and coin lockers. Suica (Tokyo) and ICOCA (Osaka) work in both cities.

• iPhone users: add a Suica to Apple Wallet, or use JR East's Welcome Suica Mobile app for tourists. Top up with a card in Apple Pay.
• Physical cards: regular Suica and PASMO cards are on sale again at station machines. The Welcome Suica card (no deposit, valid 28 days) is sold at Narita, Haneda and major JR East stations.
• Top up with cash at any station machine or convenience store. Load ¥3,000–5,000 at a time.
• You still need separate tickets for the Shinkansen and the reserved seats on the N'EX, Skyliner and Rapi:t.
• Most Android phones bought outside Japan can't add Suica. Get a physical card.

From Narita: the N'EX to Tokyo, Shinjuku and Shibuya; the Keisei Skyliner to Ueno (fastest); or the cheap Access Express to Asakusa. From Haneda: Keikyu to Shinagawa or the Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho, both under 20 minutes.

• The N'EX Tokyo Round Trip Ticket (¥5,200, foreign passport holders, return within 14 days) is the best deal if you're staying in Shinjuku or Shibuya.
• Staying in Ueno or Asakusa? Take the Skyliner (about 45 min to Ueno; the online e-ticket is cheaper) or the Access Express straight to Asakusa (about ¥1,290, unreserved).
• Haneda: Keikyu to Shinagawa (~15 min, ~¥330) then JR, or the Monorail to Hamamatsucho (~¥520).
• JR East raised fares on March 14, 2026. If the machine shows a few yen more than an old blog, that's why.

Unlimited rides on all Tokyo Metro and Toei subway lines for 24, 48 or 72 hours from your first ride. Prices went up on March 14, 2026.

• Worth it if you take 5 or more subway rides a day. JR lines (Yamanote, Chuo) are not included.
• Sold to foreign visitors at Narita and Haneda, Bic Camera stores and online (Klook, KKday). Have your passport ready.
• The clock starts on your first ride, not when you buy it.

Tokyo to Shin-Osaka in about 2 hours 27 minutes on the Nozomi, with trains every few minutes all day.

• Book on the SmartEX app (English, pay by card) or at JR ticket machines. A reserved seat costs about ¥850 more than unreserved and guarantees you a seat.
• Heading to Osaka, sit in an E seat (window, right side) for Mt Fuji on a clear day.
• Bags over 160 cm in total (L + W + H) need a reserved seat with an oversized-baggage area.
• Ekiben and drinks are fine on board. Take your trash with you.

Usually not for a Tokyo + Osaka trip. One Nozomi ride is ¥14,720, and even a round trip plus airport trains doesn't reach ¥53,000. It only pays off if you're also going far, like Hiroshima or Kanazawa, within the 7 days.

• Pass holders can ride the Nozomi only with an extra Nozomi supplement ticket (about ¥4,960 Tokyo–Shin-Osaka).
• Regional passes (JR Kansai, JR Tokyo Wide and others) can be better value for day trips. Compare them below.

Nankai's Rapi:t (38 min, reserved seats) or the cheaper Airport Express go to Namba. JR's Haruka goes to Tennoji, Shin-Osaka and Kyoto.

• Staying in Namba? Nankai is the easiest. The Airport Express is ¥970 and only about 7 minutes slower than the Rapi:t.
• Going to Kyoto or Shin-Osaka? The ICOCA & HARUKA set for foreign visitors bundles a discounted Haruka ticket with an ICOCA card. Buy it at the JR ticket office at KIX with your passport.
• Peach and some budget flights use Terminal 2. Ride the free shuttle bus to Terminal 1 for the trains.

The red Midosuji Line runs Shin-Osaka, Umeda, Namba and Tennoji: the spine of every Osaka trip. Private railways go to Kyoto (Hankyu, Keihan) and Nara (Kintetsu).

• Suica and ICOCA work on all of them.
• The Osaka Amazing Pass (1-day ¥3,500) adds free entry to Osaka Castle and other sights. Worth it on a heavy sightseeing day.
• To Kyoto: the JR Special Rapid from Osaka Station (~29 min, ~¥580) or Hankyu from Umeda to Kawaramachi (~43 min, ~¥410).
• Stand on the right of escalators in Osaka (on the left in Tokyo).

Clean, metered and pricey. The rear door opens and closes by itself, so don't touch it. The GO app works like Grab in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, and Uber operates in big cities too.

• Show the Japanese name of your destination (we list it under every stop).
• Worth it for groups of 3–4 on short hops or with luggage. Fares go up 20% late at night (22:00–5:00).
• Highway buses (Willer, JR Bus) are a cheap overnight alternative to the Shinkansen.