Written by Aarohi Narain
Remember Pasmo Passport? Probably not, if you arrived in Japan after it was discontinued in 2024 — but it was once the tourist-friendly version of Pasmo. Now, Pasmo is bringing the idea back with the Tourist Pasmo, a new transport card for international visitors launching in May 2026.
The short story: The Tourist Pasmo works out to be a little cheaper than regular Pasmo cards, and is meant to be taken home as a souvenir after your trip.
How it works
The basic idea is simple: land at the airport, buy the card, tap through the train gates and avoid the “which ticket do I buy?” spiral.
Important points
1. The Tourist Pasmo can be used on all IC card-compatible trains and buses across Japan (read: almost all of them).
2. It also works for cashless payments at shops and vending machines.
3. The validity period is 28 days from the day it is issued.
4. The Tourist Pasmo will be sold at Haneda and Narita airports, and some train stations.
How much the Tourist Pasmo costs
At Narita Airport, the Tourist Pasmo will cost ¥2,000, which includes ¥2,000 of usable credit.
At Haneda Airport, you can choose from ¥1,000, ¥2,000, ¥3,000, ¥4,000, ¥5,000 and ¥10,000, with the full purchase amount loaded onto the card.
In other words, there is no deposit.
How is it different from a regular Pasmo?
The Tourist Pasmo is aimed at short-term visitors. There’s no deposit or service charge, and unlike a regular Pasmo, it’s designed to be taken home as a souvenir rather than returned — hence the sleek new design based on the kanji for “travel”.
The catch? Any remaining balance cannot be refunded.
How is it different from the Welcome Suica?
The Tourist Pasmo and Welcome Suica are functionally identical. Both are prepaid IC cards that work across trains, subways, buses and shops nationwide, have no deposit, expire after 28 days and don’t offer refunds on remaining balance.
Welcome Suica, issued by JR East, can be purchased at airport terminals by using the Welcome Suica Ticket vending machines. It can also be purchased at JR East Travel Service Centers, Takanawa Gateway Travel Service Center, and Japan Rail Café Tokyo. There is also a digital version.
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