Can I use Japan Rail Pass for Tokyo Metro?

Dear all,

I am from Malaysia and I plan to bring my family (five of us) to Japan for a 5-city, 10-day trip end of this year. Do I then buy a 7-day or 14-day Japan Rail Pass?
I read from TripAdvsior that for Tokyo Metro, I should either get Suica, Pasmo, Manaca, or Bic Camera cards. What are the differences between these cards? Also, what is the difference between Tokyo Metro and Toei Metro?
Thanks.

Can I use Japan Rail Pass for Tokyo Metro?

No, the pass is only valid on JR trains.

Do I then buy a 7-day or 14-day Japan Rail Pass?

The 7-day will be a better value if you can fit all of your long distance travel into the 7 day period.

I read from TripAdvsior that for Tokyo Metro, I should either get Suica, Pasmo, Manaca, or Bic Camera cards. What are the differences between these cards?

Suica and Pasmo are Tokyo based cards, Manaca is Nagoya based, Icoca is Kansai, etc. They are virtually interchangeable so you just pick up the one for the area where you first arrive. More info here:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html

Bic Camera cards? are not travel IC cards. That is either referring to their shopper loyalty card, prepaid data sim, credit card, etc. but it is not the same as the previous cards mentioned.

Also, what is the difference between Tokyo Metro and Toei Metro?

Different operating companies. Otherwise, they're both subway systems in Tokyo.

Only buy a 14-day JR Pass IF IT WILL PAY OFF. They are very expensive passes, and depending on your itinerary separate tickets, or another pass, might be a cheaper option.

You can work out if a pass is cost-effective by checking the price of your train trips on Hyperdia (hyperdia.com/en). Remember that on a nationwide JR Pass, you cannot take the fastest shinkansen (Nozomi/Mizuho). You can check the full conditions of the pass on this website, as well as look up a full list of other passes - there are a lot of regional ones that might fit your itinerary better.

The JR Pass only covers transportation run by JR - this covers all the shinkansen, and local travel that has 'JR' in front of it (e.g., in Tokyo, the JR Yamanote Line). This website also has instructions for how to read the symbols on Hyperdia which tell you if a train is JR or not.

Tokyo Metro and Toei Metro are both metro systems, but run by different companies (neither is run by JR). Suica and Pasmo are IC cards (reloadable transport cards) that can be used for short trips (anywhere in the country, except for trams in Hiroshima).

P.S. I suggest you read the 'Transportation' section of this website to do some more research; make sure you understand how the transport system works before buying any passes.

Hi guys,
Thank you so much for the very informative answers. I have a few more questions below:
1) Can my 7-day JR Pass be used on the Yamanote Line?
2) Is there a subway line from the Narita Airport directly to downtown Tokyo?
3) Our plan is to begin our tour in Japan by travelling first to Kyoto and then spend our last few days in Tokyo before flying back to Malaysia i.e. Kyoto-Osaka-Himeji-Tokyo. Against this background, where and how do we take the shinkansen to Kyoto upon arrival at Narita Airport?
Thanks again, guys!

1) Can my 7-day JR Pass be used on the Yamanote Line?
Yes, you can use it on all JR lines in Tokyo, provided it's within the 7 days. Use the manned gates.

2) Is there a subway line from the Narita Airport directly to downtown Tokyo?
No. there is only surface rail, provided by JR and Keisei lines. The JR Pass, if activated for that first arrival date, will work for the Narita Express to Tokyo and stations beyond.

3) Our plan is to begin our tour in Japan by travelling first to Kyoto and then spend our last few days in Tokyo before flying back to Malaysia i.e. Kyoto-Osaka-Himeji-Tokyo. Against this background, where and how do we take the shinkansen to Kyoto upon arrival at Narita Airport?
Shinkansen must end service at around midnight, so depending on your arrival time, you can catch a shinkansen at Tokyo or Shinagawa Stations (Shinagawa is recommended due to ease of transfer). It takes about one hour to get to Shinagawa from Narita, so you have to factor that in as well when planning. But if you input Narita (T1 or T2) as your departure station and Kyoto as your arrival on hyperdia.com/en, then you can calculate what you need to do. If you haven't navigated Narita before, I'd give at least one hour to deplane and get through customs and get to the basement of the airport where the trains are. You have to account for any plane delays as well.

Hi guys, one quick question here.
Instead of arriving at Tokyo and then travel straight to Kyoto (using the shinkansen) to begin our holidays as mentioned previously; we now plan to arrive at Osaka, then travel backwards to Tokyo and then depart from Tokyo's Narita Airport.
Against this new backdrops, can we buy the Pasmo and Suica cards at Osaka Airport?
Thanks.

No, you can buy an Icoca.

Noted with thanks your advice on Icoca card.

1) Can the Icoca card be used in Kyoto and Tokyo?

2) I read from Trip Advisor that Suica and Pasmo cards are valid on all trains, subways and buses in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Is this true?

Thanks again.

Yes to both questions. Icoca can be used in all the cities in 2 as well, with a few minor exceptions in and around Tokyo, which are of no consequence to tourists.