Where to Buy JR Passes & Welcome Suica Cards in Japan: JR EAST Travel Service Centers
Traveling through Japan is easier than ever thanks to Welcome Suica cards and the abundance of JR Passes, which allow for seamless transit across cities and regions. But where exactly can travelers pick up these Japanese transportation passes? Whether you’re flying into Tokyo or already exploring Japan’s rail network, one of the most convenient places to purchase or exchange JR Passes and IC cards is a JR EAST Travel Service Center. These helpful hubs are located in major train stations, including those at Narita and Haneda airports, and offer everything from ticket purchases to trip-planning support, with multilingual staff to assist international visitors!
The JR EAST Travel Service Center
JR EAST Travel Service Centers are official service counters inside major JR East stations, each designed to support overseas visitors. At these centers you can find help purchasing or exchanging JR Passes (including area-specific options), buying IC cards like the Welcome Suica, and even getting travel advice in English!
Staff can also print your tickets in English so they’re easy to read!
JR Passes Available at JR EAST Travel Service Centers
Availability varies by location, but you’ll generally find the following popular passes:
・JAPAN RAIL PASS
・JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area)
・JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area)
・JR TOKYO Wide Pass
・JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass
・JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido Rail Pass
・Hokuriku Arch Pass
・N’EX TOKYO Round Trip Ticket
If you’re landing at Narita, grab your pass at the airport and ride into Tokyo via the Narita Express (N’EX) — covered by several JR passes.
Get a Welcome Suica: The Prepaid IC Card for Travelers
The Welcome Suica is a convenient prepaid and rechargeable smart card that works across most trains, subways, and buses in Japan. (Check the official website for the list of compatible transportation systems.) Forget all those paper tickets, just tap and go!
But a Suica card isn’t just for transit — you can also use it to make purchases at convenience stores, vending machines, train car beverage carts, and more. Take advantage of the convenience to avoid spare change and skip long ticket machine lines.
For more details on the Welcome Suica, check the official website.
Where to Find JR EAST Travel Service Centers
Kanto and the Surrounding Area
You can find Service Centers in and around Tokyo, as well as the neighboring prefectures. The full list is pretty long!
・TAKANAWA GATEWAY Travel Service Center (JR Takanawa Gateway Station) *Opening on March 27, 2025; cashless payment only!
・Haneda Airport (Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station)
・Narita Airport (JR Narita Airport Station)
・Airport Terminal 2 (JR Airport Terminal 2 Station)
・Tokyo (JR Tokyo Station)
・Shinjuku South Exit & Shinjuku East Exit (JR Shinjuku Station)
・Shibuya (JR Shibuya Station)
・Ueno (JR Ueno Station)
・Ikebukuro (JR Ikebukuro Station)
・Tachikawa (JR Tachikawa Station)
・Omiya (JR Omiya Station)
・Yokohama (JR Yokohama Station)
・Kawasaki (JR Kawasaki Station)
・Kashiwa (JR Kashiwa Station)
・Funabashi (JR Funabashi Station)
・Niigata (JR Niigata Station)
Eastern Japan Area
Traveling further into the Tohoku, Niigata, or Nagano regions? Look for JR EAST Travel Service Centers in:
・Sendai (JR Sendai Station)
・Yamagata (JR Yamagata Station)
・Fukushima (JR Fukushima Station)
・Morioka (JR Morioka Station)
・Aomori (JR Aomori Station)
・Akita (JR Akita Station)
・Nagano (JR Nagano Station)
・Niigata (JR Niigata Station)
Why Visit a JR EAST Travel Service Center?
In addition to tickets and passes, these centers offer regional maps, sightseeing brochures, and assistance from multilingual staff. They’re ideal for first-time visitors to Japan or anyone needing help navigating the JR system, and great places to ask for sightseeing information and even seasonal travel tips — festivals, cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, ski spots, you name it!
Whether you’re planning to zip through Japan on the shinkansen or ride the local train lines through charming towns, the right pass or IC card makes travel easy, and often cheaper too. Stop by a JR EAST Travel Service Center for tickets, information, and the tools to make the most of your journey!
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For more information on JR EAST Travel Service Centers, you can visit the official JR EAST website in English here: JR-EAST — East Japan Railway Company
Also available in a number of other languages:
Traditional Chinese: JR東日本 — 東日本旅客鐵路株式會社
Simplified Chinese: JR东日本 — 东日本旅客铁路公司
Korean: JR-EAST — East Japan Railway Company
Thai: JR-EAST — East Japan Railway Company
