1 month: JR Pass, Suica or Pasmo?

Hello,

I am going to Japan from april 3rd to may 4th. It's my third time in japan and the last 2 times, I went for 2 weeks and purchased the 14 days JR Pass. Now, staying 1 month, it gets a bit more difficult with the JR pass since it's up to 21 days.
I'm looking into options for my travels but I never used either Suica or Pasmo.

I will be staying in Maebashi for the duration of the month. I plan on going alot around Tokyo and once or twice around Kyoto, Osaka.
Thank you for your recommendation in advance

The point of the JR Pass is not to have it cover your whole length of stay; this often results in a waste of money. It should cover your long-distance travel, as this is what is most expensive. Plan your itinerary first, and then decide if you need a JR Pass. You may find a 7-day is all you need, or a cheaper regional pass.

An IC card (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, etc.) is a great thing to have as it covers all local transport. It can also be used for shinkansen tickets if you link it with the SmartEx app (only available in certain countries).

P.S. I highly recommend thoroughly reading the transport section of this website, as it seems that even with two trips to Japan you're still unsure of the transport network, as well as how passes/etc. operate and should be used to get the best cost benefit.

JR Pass and IC card are not mutually exclusive. It wouldnft be uncommon to have both (since I think you should have an IC card no matter what).

As PPs said, study the transport section.
There are Rail passes (many different ones) which essentially give you the right to use within a given region (or the entire country) , for a given number of days, certain trains (eg all JR trains ) for gfreeh. Passes make sense if you plan to travel a lot within those x days or very far (and often). Youfll need to take your itinerary and make calculations plus consider if the conveniences and inconveniences of the pass are right for you.

And then there are IC cards which come in different names and colors (eg Pasmo , Suica) which are gelectronic cashh. Ie you put money on the card and then pay individually your rides. There is nearly no discount on the fare, but it makes it sooooo much more easy to take a bus, train, subway... you can also pay other things with the card eg at vending machines or in convenience stores. It is simply money.

Enjoy planning your trip to Japan!