Japan Transport System

Japan Public Transport Fare System

Public transport fares in Japan are based on full age and are divided as follows.

• Adult: age 12 and over
• Child: age 6 to under 12 (50% of the adult fare)
  • Example: if the adult fare is 150 yen, the child fare is 75 yen → rounded up to the nearest 10 yen, so it becomes 80 yen
• Infant: age 1 to under 6
  • Trains, subways, and local buses where a separate seat is not required: up to 2 infants ride free per 1 adult
  • For Shinkansen, limited express trains, highway buses, etc. where a seat is required:
    • 1 adult + 1 infant: free if the infant sits on the adult’s lap
    • 1 adult + 2 infants: one sits on the lap, one uses a seat → 1 child fare is required
• Baby: under 12 months (free)

How to Use Japan IC Transit Cards Smartly

Japan’s IC transit cards (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, nimoca, etc.) are prepaid, rechargeable cards.
Besides transport, you can also pay at convenience stores, vending machines, coin lockers, taxis, and cafes.

1) Benefits of IC cards

• Easy rides on trains and buses without buying tickets
• Discounts on some routes
• Easy cashless payments without worrying about coins

⚠️ However, they cannot be used for Shinkansen, limited express trains, or highway buses.
→ Whether you need one depends on how you combine it with transport passes.

2) Difference from transport passes

• IC card: prepaid/rechargeable, usable on most transport
• Transport pass: unlimited rides for a specific area/period, value depends on your itinerary
  → Before you decide, you should check passes first (after planning your route).

3) Major cards

• Suica: JR East (Tokyo, Sapporo)
• PASMO: Private railways in the Tokyo area
• ICOCA: JR West (Osaka, Kyoto)
• SUGOCA: JR Kyushu
• nimoca: Kyushu, Hakodate
• Hayakaken: Fukuoka City Subway
• TOICA: JR Central (Nagoya)
• manaca: Nagoya City Transportation Bureau
• Kitaca: JR Hokkaido
• PiTaPa: Kansai postpaid card (not available for foreign visitors)

4) Buying a physical card

• Buy at ticket machines or counters at local stations
• Choose registered or unregistered (registered cards can be reissued if lost)
• Child cards can only be purchased at a counter with a passport

5) Mobile cards (iPhone only)

• You can issue Suica, PASMO, and ICOCA in the Wallet app
• If Apple Pay is not linked, install the PASMO app separately and register
• No child version available

6) How to use

• Subway: tap at the ticket gate
• Bus: tap when boarding and/or getting off
• Payments: say “IC card de onegaishimasu”

7) Check your balance

• Physical card: at gates or ticket machines / also available in the TourCast app “Transit card balance check”
• Mobile: directly in the Wallet app

8) How to top up

• Cash top-up at ticket machines, convenience stores, or with staff
• Mobile cards can top up via Apple Pay

9) Refunds

• Refunds are available only in the region where you purchased the card
• 220 yen fee, 500 yen deposit excluded
  • If the remaining balance is 220 yen or less, you receive the 500 yen deposit only
  • If the remaining balance is over 220 yen, you receive (balance − 220 yen) + 500 yen deposit
  • Example: if 500 yen remains, refund = 500 − 220 + 500 = 780 yen
• Mobile: requires a Japanese bank account → refunds are practically not possible for most foreign visitors

10) Notes

• If you move to a different area, or forget to tap in/out, your card may become locked and cannot be used until it is fixed
• Always keep a little cash in case you cannot pay

Exclusive TourCast Tips!

Important notes when using an IC card on JR lines

In Japan, railways are operated by different companies by region, sothe IC card coverage also depends on each company’s service area. In simple terms, you can think of it as: IC card coverage = the operating company’s jurisdiction. (See the image below)

For example, taking a JR train from Osaka Station to Kyoto Station is fine. This route is under JR-WEST, so you can tap in and out with your IC card.

However, traveling from Kyoto Station to Nagoya Station using only an IC card is different. Since Nagoya is under JR-CENTRAL, you cannot use an IC card for travel that crosses company boundaries.

In that case, you can handle it like this:

• Recommended: Buy a paper ticket for the whole section before boarding
• If you boarded with an IC card, you may only be charged up to the boundary/within the JR-CENTRAL area and your IC card may become locked. In that case, to use the card again you may need to go back to Kyoto Station and settle the fare by showing your IC card. If possible, it is best to buy a paper ticket in advance.

Be especially careful around company boundary sections.

Complete Guide to Trains in Japan

In Japan travel, trains (including commuter trains and subways) are an essential means of transport.

If you travel without understanding the train types, you may feel confused on the spot, so it is best to learn the basics in advance.

1) Non-reserved & reserved seats

This is the basic seat classification when using trains.

• Non-reserved (自由席 - jiyuu-seki, NON-RESERVED): no assigned seat, sit anywhere available
• Reserved (指定席 - shitei-seki, RESERVED): assigned seat, sit in the seat number shown
• Green Car (グリーン車 - Green Car): a higher-class reserved seat with more space and comfort
• Gran Class (グランクラス - Gran Class): the highest class, similar to first class on an airplane

2) Limited Express Ticket

In Japan, when you take a Shinkansen or a limited express train, you generally need a limited express ticket in addition to the basic fare ticket. The limited express fee varies depending on whether you choose reserved, non-reserved, or Green Car.

① If you do not have a transport pass

• When riding a limited express train or Shinkansen, you must buy a fare ticket plus a limited express ticket (non-reserved, reserved, Green, etc.).
• In some cases, the fare ticket and limited express ticket may be issued as a single combined ticket.

② If you have a transport pass

• Limited express tickets can be issued at ticket machines or counters, but some passes limit the number of uses.
• Limited express tickets issued with a pass are usually reserved-seat limited express tickets, while non-reserved seats can be used with the pass alone.
• With most standard passes, Green Car is not included and an additional fee applies.
  • However, if you have a Green JR Pass, you can issue Green Car reservations.

3) Classification by operator

Trains in Japan can be classified by operator as follows.

• JR lines
  • Operated by the JR Group (companies formed after the privatization of Japanese National Railways)
  • Six regional JR companies (JR East, JR West, etc.) operate by region, forming a nationwide network including Shinkansen
  • On JR lines, all non-Shinkansen lines are called “conventional lines (在来線)” in Japan.
• Subway 🚇
  • Urban railways mainly running underground in major cities
  • Tokyo Metro, Osaka Metro, etc.; most use zone-based fares for short city travel
• Commuter trains (including private railways)
  • Ground lines operated by private railway companies other than JR
  • Nankai, Tobu, Hankyu, Keio, Keisei, etc. connect city centers and suburbs, and often operate their own limited express services

4) Classification by service type

Japanese rail can be broadly divided into Shinkansen, limited express trains, and local trains.

• Shinkansen and limited express trains often have both reserved and non-reserved cars. Some trains are all-reserved, or have only a few non-reserved cars.
• With a non-reserved ticket, you cannot sit in reserved seats and may need to stand for the journey if the non-reserved cars are full.
• Recently, many lines are reducing non-reserved cars and increasing reserved cars, so in some cases you cannot board without a reserved-seat ticket.

① Shinkansen 🚄

Shinkansen is Japan’s high-speed rail, and is divided into types such as Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama depending on stops and service level.

• Notes for oversized baggage on the Shinkansen
  • Be careful with large baggage where the total of three sides is 160cm or more (around 30-inch suitcase or larger)
  • This rule applies only on the following sections:
    • Tokaido Shinkansen (Shin-Osaka ~ Tokyo)
    • Sanyo Shinkansen (Shin-Osaka ~ Hakata)
    • Kyushu Shinkansen (Hakata ~ Kagoshima)
    • Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen (Takeo-Onsen ~ Nagasaki)
  • If you bring large baggage, you must reserve an “oversized baggage area seat”, and the price is the same as a standard reserved seat
  • If you bring it without a reservation, an additional 1,000 yen fee applies
  • Baggage with a total of three sides over 250cm is not allowed
• You cannot ride the Shinkansen with an IC transit card; you must buy a separate ticket
• When booking, tickets may be issued as separate fare + limited express tickets, or as a single combined ticket
  • See the “How to read fare tickets and limited express tickets” section for details

When riding Shinkansen reserved seats

• If you booked tickets

• If you use a JR Pass

When riding Shinkansen non-reserved seats

• If you booked tickets

• If you use a JR Pass

• If the fare ticket and limited express ticket are issued separately, you must insert both together at Shinkansen gates
• If you use a JR Pass, you can pass the gate with only the pass

The Shinkansen’s front nose is long and pointed for more than just speed. The key purpose was to reduce noise.

When a train enters a tunnel at very high speed, air pressure compresses and then releases as it exits, causing a “tunnel sonic boom” that can sound like an explosion. This created serious complaints and impact for residents near tunnels, and a solution was urgently needed.

To solve this, Japanese engineers took inspiration from nature. They noticed that a kingfisher can dive into water without splashing, and found that its long beak shape reduces resistance.

Based on this, they designed the Shinkansen nose in the shape of a kingfisher’s beak, which significantly reduced the noise when entering tunnels.

This streamlined design later became a symbol of Japanese rail, combining high speed and quiet operation.

② Limited express trains 🚆

• Limited express trains in Japan often have forward-facing seats and dedicated luggage spaces, making travel more comfortable.
• Depending on the train, there may be separate reserved and non-reserved cars, or seats may be classified without a car separation.
  • Narita Express is a well-known example where reserved/non-reserved is managed by seat, not by car.
  • In that case, reserved seats show a yellow lamp, and you must give the seat to the passenger when they arrive.

• If you booked a reserved seat on a limited express train

  • When booked

  

  

  • When using a JR Pass

  

  

• If you booked non-reserved seats on a limited express train

  • When booked

  

  

  • When using a JR Pass

  

• On limited express trains, an IC card can replace the basic fare ticket.

  • Example: for Kansai Airport → Nankai Namba, if you have an IC card, you can ride the Rapi:t by buying only the Rapi:t limited express ticket (520 yen).
  • Pass the gate with your IC card, and sit in the seat number written on the limited express ticket.
  • During onboard ticket checks, show only the limited express ticket.
  • For the Hakone Romancecar, you can reserve only the limited express ticket online and buy the fare ticket separately or use the Hakone Free Pass.

• For all-reserved limited express trains, you must issue a reserved-seat ticket in advance.

  • Examples: Yufuin no Mori, sleeper trains, etc.
  • Sleeper trains require a separate sleeper limited express ticket, and you cannot ride with only a pass.

③ Local trains 🚋

• Local trains work like subways and commuter trains: you sit in any available seat.
  • In Japan, subways and commuter trains are clearly different categories.
  • Since available transport passes can differ depending on subway vs commuter rail, it is important to understand the local categories correctly.

• Local trains are also divided by seating layout: “side-facing seats” and “forward-facing seats.”

• Subways stop at every station.
• Commuter trains (private railways) vary by line and train type; the fare is usually the same, but the number of stops differs.
  • Examples include Rapid Limited Express, Limited Express, Commuter Rapid, Express, Semi-Express, Section Express, Local, etc.
  • “Limited Express” in local rail naming and “Limited Express” as a train category (requiring a limited express ticket) are completely different concepts, so be careful not to confuse them.
  • For example, Keisei Sky Access Limited Express includes “Limited Express” in its name but is a local/commuter train, and you can ride with only an IC card.

• A Local train is a local service that stops at every station, with no reserved seating.
  • In other words, “Local” means the train type that stops at all stations.
• You can ride freely with an IC card or a transport pass.

Fare ticket vs limited express ticket: is one enough?

When you take a Shinkansen or limited express train in Japan, the fare ticket and limited express ticket are usually issued separately.

These two tickets contain different information. Let’s look at examples and see what you should check.

1) Fare ticket

1. Origin: 東京都区内 (TOKYO WARD AREA)
2. Departure date: FEB 14
3. Validity: VALID 3 DAYS

• Usable until February 16, including the departure date
• For fare tickets of 100km or more, stopovers are allowed (you can exit the gate and re-enter within the validity period)
  • However, you cannot travel back in the reverse direction
  • Stopovers are not allowed with limited express tickets
• 101–200km tickets are valid for 2 days, and beyond that, add 1 day per 100km

4. Destination: 仙台市内 (SENDAI CITY ZONE)
5. Ticket amount: Confirmed at purchase

2) Limited express ticket

A limited express ticket is issued mainly for Shinkansen or limited express trains, and includes seat reservation details for that train.

Main items:

1. Departure station: 東京 (TOKYO)
2. Departure date: FEB 14
3. Departure time: 12:36
4. Ticket amount: shown at purchase
5. Arrival station: 仙台 (SENDAI)
6. Non-smoking: check NON-SMOKING SEAT
7. Train name: YAMABIKO 53
8. Car number: CAR 7
9. Seat number: SEAT 7E

The limited express ticket is valid only for the specified train and seat, so you must check the departure time and seat information.

If you take a different train or miss the departure time, you cannot use that seat and extra charges may apply 🚨

• If the train has not departed yet, one change is usually allowed

Exclusive TourCast Tips!

How to use fare tickets correctly (so your IC card does not get locked)

If you look at the fare ticket image above, you can see that the origin and destination are written not as specific station names but as 東京都区内 (TOKYO WARD AREA) and 仙台市内 (SENDAI CITY ZONE).

In contrast, the limited express ticket for the same journey shows exact station names like 東京 (TOKYO) and 仙台 (SENDAI).

This difference exists because a “special fare calculation rule” is applied.

• This rule applies only to JR lines

When traveling 201km or more, the origin and destination may be shown as specific areas (e.g., Tokyo Ward Area, Sendai City Zone). Within that area, you can travel between eligible JR stations without additional fare using the same ticket.

Example: Shinjuku Station → Tokyo Station on the Yamanote Line → board the Shinkansen (no extra fare)

However, not every station is included, so you must check the symbols printed on the ticket.

• Example: 区 Tokyo Ward Area / 仙 Sendai City Zone
• 101–200km section: 山 can include the Yamanote Line
• In the image above, you can see 山 区 on the right side.

A total of 11 regions and 12 zones are covered:

• 区 Tokyo Ward Area
• 山 Tokyo Yamanote Line Area
• 浜 Yokohama City Area
• 名 Nagoya City Area
• 京 Kyoto City Area
• 阪 Osaka City Area
• 神 Kobe City Area
• 広 Hiroshima City Area
• 九 Kitakyushu City Area
• 福 Fukuoka City Area
• 仙 Sendai City Area
• 札 Sapporo City Area

View JR East basic fare guidance

Example 1: Osaka Tennoji Station → Tokyo Shinjuku Station

• Check that the fare ticket shows 阪 Osaka City Area - 区 Tokyo Ward Area
• You can use JR lines up to Shin-Osaka Station
• If you exit the gate mid-journey, the fare ticket becomes invalid
• Shin-Osaka Station → Shinkansen → arrive at Tokyo Station
• Tokyo Station → Shinjuku Station (Sobu Line/Yamanote Line) → pass with the fare ticket

Example 2: Osaka Namba Station → Tokyo Shinjuku Station

• Namba Station is not a JR station, so subway fare is separate
• Midosuji Line → Shin-Osaka Station → Shinkansen → arrive at Tokyo Station
• Tokyo Station → Shinjuku Station (Sobu Line/Yamanote Line) → pass with the fare ticket

Example 3: Osaka JR Yao Station → Tokyo Chigasaki Station

• Both ends are outside the special fare zones
• Yao Station → Shin-Osaka: use an IC card
• At transfer gates: fare ticket first, IC card second
• If you pass using only the fare ticket, the IC card may not be settled properly and can become locked.
• After arriving in Tokyo: go to Chigasaki Station → you may need to pay the excess fare (norikoshi settlement)

View notes for Suica transfers to other operators

Japan Subways: How to Avoid Getting Lost, Even on Your First Ride

To ride trains comfortably in Japan, it is best to actively use Google Maps route guidance.

For example, when you search on Google Maps, it shows direction information such as toward Shibuya/Shinagawa, along with a platform number (e.g., Platform 14).
In other words, if you only check the platform number inside the station, you can move easily without getting lost.

If the platform number is shown like 3/4, it means trains run on both sides of the same platform.
In that case, once you reach the platform, just check the train direction and board.

The E2 shown below is an exit number.

• Exit number shown for the origin → the closest boarding platform

• Exit number shown for the destination → the closest station exit

• If you search only the station name in Google Maps, exit numbers may not appear.

• In many cases, you need to search by a building name/facility name to see exit information.

What does “Remain on Board” mean?

When you search routes in Google Maps or a transit app, you may see the phrase "Remain on Board".

It means the train is the same, but the operating line changes.
In other words, you do not need to get off. Just stay seated. (The driver and crew may change.)

How to settle the fare

1. If paying by cash

   • Calculate the fare from the origin station to the destination, then buy a ticket

2. If using an IC transit card

   • Tap in and ride as usual, with no extra steps

3. If using a transport pass

   • Pass covers the full route: no problem
   • Origin is covered, destination is not covered:
     At the destination, show the pass to station staff and pay the difference by cash/IC card
   • Origin is not covered, destination is covered:
     Use a one-way ticket / IC card tap up to the pass-covered section → at the destination, show the pass + ticket to station staff

Japan Buses Have Their Own Boarding Rules

In Japan, city buses do not always follow the same rule like “board at the front, get off at the back.” Rules vary by region, route, and fare system.
It can be confusing at first, so make sure you know the basics.

1) Check the bus destination

• Before boarding, check the front/side display for the bus number, destination, and major stops

2) How to board the bus

• Buses with only a front door
  • Highway buses: use the front door after showing your ticket
  • Some city buses: take a boarding ticket and pay when getting off

• Buses with front and back doors
  • Board at the front → get off at the back (flat-fare system)

• Board at the back → pay at the front when getting off (distance-based fare system)

3) Important notes after boarding

• Sit in an available seat, or hold the handrail
• Exchange bills only while the bus is stopped
• Check your stop using the display and announcements

4) Press the stop button

• Press the button as your stop approaches
• Match your boarding ticket number with the fare shown on the display

5) Pay, then get off

• Get off only after the bus has completely stopped
• Cash: put in your boarding ticket + the exact fare, and use the 1,000-yen bill changer if you need change
  • Change is not returned automatically
  • Child fare = half of the adult fare (rounded to the nearest 10 yen)

• Transport pass: insert the boarding ticket and show your pass
• IC card: tap when getting off
  • If you pay for multiple people with one card, tell the driver the number of passengers before or after boarding
  • Extra passengers should take a boarding ticket when boarding, then insert the boarding ticket when getting off

Japan Taxi Guide

In Japan, many people try to get home before the last train. The biggest reason is expensive taxi fares 🚖

• Basic 2–3 km: around 1,200–1,300 yen
• If you have a lot of luggage or 3–4 people, a taxi can be a practical option

Basic information

• Standard taxi capacity: up to 4 adults (age 12 and above)
• Seat belts are required for all seats
• 2 adults + 3 children under 12 may be possible (depends on the vehicle)
• Automatic rear door → do not open or close it by hand
• The driver records trip details, which can help if you lose something

1) Search taxi fares

• Japan Travel app

2) Taxi ride-hailing apps

• Common flow: set your current location → set your destination → request a ride

App options:

1. Uber

   • Most discount offers in Japan
   • You can use local coupons
   • Different people can use coupons in turn
   • Coupons cannot be combined

2. DiDi

   • China-based app, English only
   • Can be requested through Google Maps

3. GO

   • A major taxi app in Japan
   • If your device language is not Japanese, the UI shows in English
   • Can be requested through Google Maps