Getting around
How to buy a train ticket and get through the gates
An IC card makes all of this vanish. Paper tickets are where people get stuck, so that's where the steps go.
- 1Easiest route: get an IC card (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA — all interchangeable). Tap it on the panel as you walk through the gate to enter, tap again to exit. The fare comes off automatically; you never think about price.
- 2Buying a paper ticket instead? Look at the fare map above the machines and find the yen amount next to your destination station.
- 3Feed money into the machine, then press the button for that fare. Take the ticket and your change.
- 4At the gate, push the ticket into the slot — it pops out the far end. Take it back, and walk through.
- 5Keep the paper ticket until you exit. The gate eats it on the way out.
Heads up. Underpaid, or not sure of the fare? Don't panic at the exit gate — use the 精算 (fare adjustment) machine just before it to top up, then go through.
Good to know
- Most machines have an English button in the top corner.
- Tourist passes aside, an IC card also works at convenience stores and vending machines — worth getting on arrival.
Want the why?
This is just how to work it. If you’re curious what’s actually going on: