IC card finder

Pick the right Japan IC card for your trip from Malaysia.

Choose your arrival airport, cities, trip style, and mobile preference to see whether Suica, PASMO, Welcome Suica, ICOCA, Kansai One Pass, Kitaca, manaca, nimoca, or SUGOCA fits best.

Home Tools Japan Trip Budget Calculator Japan Daily Cash Calculator JR Pass Calculator Japan Train Fare Estimator

Arrival airport Pick the airport you land at first. Main cities visiting

Tokyo Osaka Kyoto Nara Kobe Sapporo Nagoya Fukuoka Hiroshima

You can select more than one city. Number of days Longer trips often need a bigger initial top-up. Number of travellers Each traveller usually needs their own IC card. First time in Japan? Tourist-friendly cards can help first-time visitors. Using JR Pass? IC cards still help for non-JR transport and shops. Need Apple Wallet / mobile card? Mobile support changes the recommendation a lot. Travelling with kids? Child cards may need counter help and verification. Exchange rate RM value for ¥100. Default is ¥100 = RM 3.00.

Recommendation

1 city

Recommended card: Welcome Suica

Welcome Suica is designed for international visitors and is very easy for a first Japan trip.

Yes, the selected cities are covered by major IC card interoperability, with local station or bus exceptions only in a few niche cases.

Recommended card Welcome Suica

Backup option Suica

Where to get it Welcome Suica vending machines or JR EAST Travel Service Centers at Narita Airport or Haneda Airport

Top-up per traveller ¥7,500 / RM 225.00

Best for

Welcome Suica is the best fit for Tokyo trips from Narita Airport.

If you later want a phone card, mobile Suica is the cleanest upgrade.

For children, ask the station counter about child cards and bring passports or age verification if requested.

Even if you are not sure about the JR Pass, an IC card is still useful because it covers everyday local transport and shops.

Selected cities

Works in the major IC network

Does it work in the cities you selected?

Yes. Major IC cards usually work across Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Sapporo, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Hiroshima, with only a few niche route exceptions.

City	Local best card	Works with your card?
Tokyo	Suica / PASMO / Welcome Suica	Yes, major IC cards work in this city; Suica / PASMO / Welcome Suica is the most local-friendly pick.

Top-up guide

5 - 7 day top-up

Suggested starting top-up amount

We use your trip length, traveller count, and exchange rate to suggest a realistic first top-up for each card.

Per traveller ¥7,500 / RM 225.00

For party ¥15,000 / RM 450.00

Trip length	Per traveller	Per traveller in RM	For your party
Short trip	¥3,000 - ¥5,000	RM 90.00 - RM 150.00	¥6,000 - ¥10,000 RM 180.00 - RM 300.00
5 - 7 days	¥5,000 - ¥10,000	RM 150.00 - RM 300.00	¥10,000 - ¥20,000 RM 300.00 - RM 600.00
8 - 14 days	¥10,000 - ¥20,000	RM 300.00 - RM 600.00	¥20,000 - ¥40,000 RM 600.00 - RM 1,200.00

Card comparison

Major IC cards

Quick comparison of the main IC cards

Use this table to choose a backup or compare a city-specific card against a nationwide option.

Card	Best area	Good for tourists?	Mobile support	Refund / expiry notes	Best for
Suica	Tokyo / wider interoperable rail network	Yes	Yes on supported devices	Standard card refunds depend on the issuer; balance is generally usable nationwide.	Tokyo-first trips and flexible multi-city travel
PASMO	Tokyo metro, private railways and buses	Yes	Yes on supported devices	Standard card refunds depend on the issuer; balance is generally usable nationwide.	Tokyo subways and city travel
Welcome Suica	Tokyo / airport arrival	Yes	Mobile app available for visitors on supported devices	No deposit, no refund, and it expires after 28 days.	First-time tourists landing in Tokyo
ICOCA	Kansai and wider western Japan	Yes	Yes on supported devices	Standard card refunds depend on the issuer; balance is generally usable nationwide.	Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Hiroshima and beyond
Kansai One Pass	Kansai tourist routes	Yes	No	Tourist card rules vary by issuer and sales point.	Tourists staying mainly in Kansai
Kitaca	Hokkaido	Yes	Limited / region-dependent	Standard card rules vary by issuer.	Sapporo and Hokkaido trips
manaca	Nagoya and Chubu	Yes	Limited / region-dependent	Standard card rules vary by issuer.	Nagoya city travel
nimoca	Fukuoka and Kyushu	Yes	Limited / region-dependent	Standard card rules vary by issuer.	Fukuoka city travel
SUGOCA	Fukuoka and Kyushu JR lines	Yes	Limited / region-dependent	Standard card rules vary by issuer.	JR travel around Kyushu

Helpful links

Cross-check your trip with the other Japan tools.

Japan Trip Budget Calculator Japan Daily Cash Calculator JR Pass Calculator Japan Train Fare Estimator

FAQ

Common Japan IC card questions

Do Malaysians need an IC card in Japan?

It is not compulsory, but an IC card makes trains, buses, convenience stores, and small top-ups much easier for most Japan trips.

Is Suica or ICOCA better?

Suica is usually the better Tokyo choice, while ICOCA is usually the better Kansai choice. Both work widely across major IC areas.

Can I use ICOCA in Tokyo?

Yes. ICOCA is interoperable with many major IC systems in Tokyo, so it works on most common city trains, subways, and buses there.

Can I use Suica in Osaka?

Yes. Suica is interoperable with many major IC systems in Osaka, so it works on most common city trains, subways, and buses there.

Is Welcome Suica good for tourists?

Yes. It is designed for international visitors, especially if you arrive in Tokyo and want a simple tourist-friendly card.

Do I still need an IC card if I have JR Pass?

Yes. JR Pass is still useful for JR lines, but an IC card remains handy for subways, buses, convenience stores, and smaller non-JR trips.

Can children use IC cards in Japan?

Yes. Child cards are available for some issuers, but purchase can require station counter support and passport or age verification.