Visiting Japan? You Need to Know About the New Welcome Suica App

One of the things that we found most frustrating about our last visit to Japan was the public transport: not the system itself (which is seamless) but the process of buying tickets.

We ended up buying individual tickets for every single journey, and because the lines are operated by different providers, if we needed to change lines, then we had to stop and buy new tickets. It was just an extra (frustrating) step that we didn’t need.

We did know that we could get the Suica app on our phones, but we couldn’t tap in for 4 people from 2 phones, and the boys didn’t have phones of their own. And we never seemed to be in the right place to buy a physical card either.

But this trip things will be different! Because there’s a new app aimed at foreign visitors to Japan that will make ticketing for public transport so much easier, at least according to the blurb! (We’ve just downloaded it to use next month, so I’ll update this then and let you know how it worked!)

Here’s what you need to know:

What Is Suica?

Suica is a prepaid form of electronic money that can be used for trains, buses, shopping and more! It’s widely used across Japan, and is similar to the Oyster Card for London transport in the UK, but you can also use it in shops or even swipe it at vending machines.

But the original Suica app isn’t particularly user friendly for travelers from overseas. So the Welcome Suica app has been introduced.

The Welcome Suica app is a new system that lets you travel across Japan with just one app covering everything (transport-wise).

This is a brand new app (It was only released on 6th March) so I haven’t seen any reviews of it yet.

If you’re visiting Japan soon then in phase one the app will allow you to issue and top up your Suica in the app without going to a ticket office or vending machine at the station both before and after entering Japan; is accepted on trains, buses and other public transportation.

But the part of the app I think will be most exciting is that in fall 2025, the app will be connected to JR-EAST Train Reservation to enable the use of Shinkansen e-ticket and conventional line limited express ticketless service, with purchase of Green Car seats on local trains to be made available in spring 2026.

That means you can just swipe your card and get on a Shinkansen without having to book your tickets in advance.

If you want Shinkansen tickets now, you do have to buy these in advance: you can do this either in the ticket office when you arrive in Japan or (if you’re type A and want to to be sure you’ll get on the train you planned) you can buy these in advance. We booked ours via Klook to get the 5% discount because I’m a Klook affiliate (You can use this link and my affiliate code THATMUMTRAVEL5KLOOK to get 5% off your tickets if you want to buy them in advance.)

Why Choose The Welcome Suica App?

Wondering why you should choose the Welcome Suica app rather than just buy a Welcome Suica card (the physical card version of the system) you arrive in Japan? I wondered the same thing, so I did a little deep dive!

The Welcome Suica card, if you’re not familiar, was introduced last year and is a physical and rechargeable travel card aimed at tourists. It is similar to the Suica card used by local residents, but is aimed specifically at foreign visitors.

The Welcome Suica App is valid for 180 days after first use while the card is only valid for 28 days. So if you’re planning a repeat visit or a longer stay in Japan then the app is the better choice.

The Welcome Suica card has to be topped up at a vending machine, ticket office, or other physical location. Whereas you can top up the app from your phone and conveniently, you can even top up via Apple Pay.

In the app you can opt to buy a one day travel pass, rather than paying for each journey individually. So on a day where you’ll be using the metro a lot, this could save you some money.

Another feature I like about the Welcome Suica app is that as well as being a travel card, it’s also a support tool. It provides information for tourist attractions and transfer directions to
support travel in Japan: so if you’re lost in Tokyo station (something that happened to us…twice!) then you can use the app to try and find your way out!

This isn’t a sponsored post and we haven’t used the app yet so I can’t vouch for its efficiency (I will update this once we do) but I think this seems like a really handy system, and one well worth trying if you’re heading to Japan soon.

How do you find travelling in Japan? Anyone else manage to get lost in Tokyo station not once, but twice? I’d love to hear all about your public transport tales of woe (if anything to make me feel better about mine!)

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