Japan to roll out prepaid transport card for foreign visitors from May

Japan will introduce a new prepaid transport IC card, “Tourist Pasmo”, for foreign tourists from May, aimed at easing travel across the country, according to Kyodo News. The card will be valid for 28 days and support cashless payments on public transport networks.

Available at airports, replaces earlier tourist card

The move comes from Pasmo Co., which said the card will be available at ticket machines and ticket offices at major stations, including Narita Airport and Haneda Airport. Users can purchase the card for 2,000 yen at Narita and between 1,000 yen and 10,000 yen at Haneda. The company said no deposit will be required, and the card can be recharged, but any remaining balance will not be refunded.

The new launch follows the discontinuation of the “Pasmo Passport” card for short-term travellers in 2024. The company said the new version carries a “stylish” design with kanji characters linked to travel and tourism and can be taken home as a souvenir.

Pasmo cards, issued by non-JR railway operators in the Tokyo area, are widely accepted on transport systems nationwide that support IC cards.

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Another major IC card in the region is Suica card, issued by East Japan Railway Co., which also offers a tourist version called “Welcome Suica”, valid for 28 days.