Can you use Suica in Kyoto? IC cards on buses and trains

Which IC cards work in Kyoto

Kyoto City Bus and Subway

Kyoto City Bus & Subway's guide says IC cards can be used on both the city bus and the subway. It lists PiTaPa, ICOCA, Kitaca, PASMO, Suica, manaca, TOICA, HAYAKAKEN, nimoca, SUGOCA and KANSAI ONE PASS, which is for foreign tourists only.

Kyoto City Bus

Kyoto City Bus says that aside from cash, you can pay with a one-day ticket such as the Subway & Bus 1-Day Pass, an IC card such as ICOCA, Suica, PASMO and PiTaPa, or other valid tickets.

Randen (Arashiyama Main Line and Kitano Line)

Randen (Keifuku Electric Railroad) says the fare can be paid in cash or with a nationwide transit IC card such as Suica or ICOCA, at the fare box on the train or at the station ticket gate when you get off. The fare is a flat 250 yen, or 120 yen for children.

Keihan

Keihan says you can ride with a nationwide interoperable transport system IC card. If you add money beforehand, the fare is deducted automatically at the ticket gate. An IC card can be used by only one passenger at a time.

Hankyu

Hankyu says PiTaPa, ICOCA (including Mobile ICOCA), Kitaca, manaca, TOICA, PASMO (including Mobile PASMO), Suica (including Mobile Suica), Hayakaken, nimoca and SUGOCA can be used as IC cards for public transportation.

JR West

JR-West says ICOCA can be used for railways, buses and shopping in the ICOCA usage area and in the usage areas of Kitaca, PASMO, Suica, manaca, TOICA, PiTaPa, Hayakaken, nimoca and SUGOCA.

Kyoto City Bus and Subway (Japanese page)

Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau's Japanese page says you can use PiTaPa, ICOCA, Kitaca, PASMO, Suica, manaca, TOICA, Hayakaken, nimoca and SUGOCA on city buses and subways.

Kyoto Bus

Kyoto Bus says the IC cards you can use on its buses are the 10 types of nationwide interoperable transit IC cards shown on its page.

Where an IC card may not work

Kyoto City Bus

Kyoto City Bus's guide notes that credit, debit and cash cards cannot be used to pay the fare and that the JAPAN RAIL PASS cannot be used.

Kyoto City Subway

Kyoto City Subway's guide notes that credit and debit cards cannot be used and that the JAPAN RAIL PASS cannot be used.

Kyoto City Bus

On Kyoto City Bus, the Sightseeing Limited Express Bus EX100 and EX101 are boarded by the front door and the fare is paid when getting on. On other routes you board by the rear door and the fare is paid when getting off.

Kyoto City Bus and Subway

Kyoto City says IC cards cannot be used in these ways: 2 or more IC cards cannot be used at the same time, a different IC card cannot be used to exit than the one used to enter, and an IC card cannot be used along with a separate ticket.

Kyoto City Bus and Subway

Kyoto City says IC cards cannot be used to purchase other tickets, cannot be used by anyone other than the card owner, and cannot be used to apply for special discounts. It asks you to load your IC card at a station beforehand.

Randen

Randen says you do not need to touch your IC card when boarding. At Shijo-Omiya, Katabira-No-Tsuji, Arashiyama and Kitano Hakubai-cho you pay at the station ticket gate, and at other stations at the fare box on the driver's side.

Keihan

Keihan says Mobile ICOCA, Mobile Suica and Mobile PASMO can all be used on Keihan trains, but you cannot top up at Keihan ticket machines or some charge machines and fare adjustment machines, so please charge beforehand.

Hankyu

Hankyu says tickets cannot be purchased with credit cards or IC cards. You can pay only in cash when purchasing tickets at ticket windows.

Kyoto City Bus and Subway

Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau says that when you ride city buses and subways with ICOCA, Suica and similar cards you must charge them beforehand, at ticket machines and cash charge machines at subway and PiTaPa area stations and JR West stations, or at convenience stores.

Where to buy a card in Kyoto

Kyoto City Bus and Subway

Kyoto City says IC cards other than PiTaPa can be loaded at subway stations, other companies' railway stations and convenience stores, and asks you to check whether loading is possible at each station or store.

KANSAI ONE PASS

Kyoto City's guide says the KANSAI ONE PASS, an IC card for foreign tourists only, is sold at the Kyoto City Bus & Subway Information Center at Kyoto Station and Kotochika Kyoto. Only customers with a passport issued by a government other than Japan and a short-term stay status of residence can purchase and use it.

Keihan

Keihan says ICOCA, an IC card that functions as a train ticket, can be purchased at its green ticket vending machines and its pink automatic commuter pass vending machine.

Kyoto City Subway

Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau says ICOCA can be bought at the automatic ticket machines at each subway station or at commuter pass offices; Children's ICOCA is sold only at the commuter pass offices. The price is 2,000 yen, made up of a 500 yen deposit and 1,500 yen usable balance.

Kyoto Bus

Kyoto Bus says it does not sell IC cards at its sales outlets, and for buying PiTaPa and ICOCA it points to the Surutto KANSAI and JR West official sites.

Trips from Kyoto

• Osaka to KyotoTrain route
• Kyoto to NaraTrain route
• Tokyo to KyotoTrain route
• Kyoto Subway Bus 1 Day PassRail pass
• Kyoto Subway 1 Day PassRail pass
• Keihan Kyoto Osaka Sightseeing PassRail pass

The official wording

Related items

• ICOCA
• PiTaPa
• Mobile ICOCA
• Kansai Airport