Commute passes for long stay

I will be moving to Japan for a minimum of 1 year. I land in Japan on the 28th of October at around 9:30 pm. I am sleeping at the Kansai airport hotel and will then make my way to Kyoto on the 29th I am struggling to find and be certain of a transportation card that I can use during my year stay in Japan. There are so many options and not all seem to work in all areas. I will be working in Kyoto for the year. Which link and or package could you please inform me on purchasing for my commute to, from work and around while living in Japan. I�fd like to purchase the package before I land, so that I can just get on the trains that I need to get onto and busses if need be. I will be travelling on the 29th with luggage since I would be coming from the Kansai airport and have heard that I need to make reservations on the trains for if I have bags.
Could please help me?

For work commute, you need a real commuter pass, not a tourist pass.
You buy it at the station (I am not aware of any you can buy online).
You can buy it in 1 month, 3 months, or 6 months increments.

I am a resident of japan.So i cant Buy japan nation wide pass.

But my parents visit japan with Tourist visa,so they can buy nationwide pass alltime
You come japan with work visa,its good,now can you say,where you want to go.
You can buy regional pass, bus pass,train pass day pass.you cant buy 1 year pass .

For commuting, after you�fve settled in Japan, you can buy a 1-month, 3-month, 6-month or maybe 1-year long �gcommuting pass,�h which covers the exact route you will use each day between the stations nearest your residence in Japan and the one nearest your work place. That is fixed to that route.

In Japan, for commuters/residents, there is no pass that covers a whole zone/area.

THis means that you can use the �gcommuter pass�h for commuting (which gives a good discount in any case) and if you go outside that route, you use the pass partly (to the extent it covers your travel) and then pay the difference.

If you live in Japan you�fll not have a tourist visa but some other status if residence. Most of the rail passes can only be bought by tourists. (It�fs being checked so no way to skip the rules). And anyway the rail passes are for people traveling around a lot in few days.

Transportation passes works this way:
- you get an IC card. On which you load money and then you use it for your travel. These IC cards work in nearly all public transport except Shinkansen and some quite remote areas. You can use on bus, subway, local train�c
- if you need to commute to work you �gput on�h that IC card from above a commuter ticket. As PP stated the commuter pass isn�ft for an entire area, but for your specific route. E.g get from Station A , change trains at station B and get off at station C. If you ride outside this route (Eg beyond station C , you�fll pay (from the money on your IC card) for the difference.
- if when you get off the train there isn�ft enough money on the card, there is a machine at the train/subway station to top up before leaving the station.

- there are different IC cards, but essentially they are all the same. So you can get whatever you want. Not every card is available for purchase everywhere. But still will work everywhere else.
- you can use your IC card also at convenience stores, some vending machines and some shops /restaurants
- there is also a possibility to put the IC card on your phone. I haven�ft done that myself, so can�ft explain.
- I don�ft think you can buy an IC card from outside of Japan but it�fs easy to buy at the airport it station.

Your initial arrival and a commuter pass are quite different things - treat them separately.
As others have said, you get an exact route (one only) attached to you IC card (SUICA or other). Last time I looked at it (years ago) the discount was around 25% - pay for three weeks, use it for a month - so can be worthwhile. Your exact savings might be different.

For example, if you commute between Kyoto station and Hanazono station, on JR train, as of this writing:
- One way individual ticket costs ��200. (��400RT).
- One month commute pass costs ��5940.
- Three months commute pass costs ��16930.
- Six months commute pass costs ��28520.

With the commute pass, the use is unlimited between the two stations (use it multiple times a day, on weekends, and get on/off any station in between).

Short answer:

Upon arrival to Japan, buy an ICOCA transportation card, and use that to go to your accommodation. Then talk to your employer about buying commuter passes, because each employer has different rules. Buy the commuter pass according to what your employer says.

Long answer:

Upon arrival to Japan, buy an ICOCA transportation card. This card can be used all over Japan, with very little exceptions. The card can also be used at most stores throughout Japan for regular shopping. So, ICOCA would get you to your accommodation. You can use cash to keep "charging" your ICOCA, or you can link it with your credit card to have everything automatically billed. You can use this ICOCA forever.

Then, once you get to your accommodation, buy a commuter pass. BUT before you do, discuss it with your employer, because companies very often have specific rules (such as only allowing shortest distance routes or cheapest routes). If you insist on buying a commuter pass upon arrival to Japan, talk to your employer before entering the country, to make sure you buy the correct pass.

Typically, employers pay for the public transportation you use for work, and this includes commuter passes. So, for example, let's say you are living at PLACE A and your company is located at PLACE B, and they want you to work at PLACE C and PLACE D. The company typically pays for your transportation fee from PLACE A to B and/or C and back to A. If they don't let you commute to the same place everyday, a commuter pass doesn't work. But still, they typically pay you for each train or bus you ride for work.

However, if you are self-employed, that is a whole different story.

I hope it helps.

Firstly: reservations for luggage only needs to be made on Tokaido/Sanyo/Kyushu Shinkansen lines, and only if your bag measurements (length + breadth + height) in cm is more than 160cm. "Large" size suitcases used by foreign travellers are less than this size, only the extra large size suitcases (not many people use them) are more than 160cm. But you aren't travelling on the shinkansen anyway so this is irrelevant. Express trains to/from airports have luggage storage space that you can use for free, and do not need to be reserved. On local trains you just hold your luggage with you whether you are sitting or standing.

As others have said, there is no pass you can buy that covers travel on all public transport (unlike say, New York where you can buy a weekly or monthly subway pass which includes bus travel).

Part of the reason is because trains in Japan are run by lots of different companies - just in Osaka you have: JR West, Osaka Subway, Hankyu, Hanshin, Keihan, Kintetsu, Nankai, and more.

Using your travel from Kansai Airport to Kyoto as an example: trains from Kansai Airport to Osaka are run by JR (West) and Nankai. Trains between Osaka and Kyoto are run by JR, Hankyu & Keihan - which one of these you take will normally depend where your destination is as they each service different parts of Kyoto.

Regardless of what buses/trains you use, a transport smartcard is vital. It stores money on it to pay bus/train fares without having to manually purchase an individual ticket for each ride (you just tap it at the ticket gates when entering/exiting the station and it automatically charges you the correct fare) and you need one to purchase a commuter pass. ICOCA is the snartcard covering the Kansai (Osake, Kyoto, Kobe etc.) area and it can be purchased at ticket machines at any JR station.

Others have given good information for commuter passes and to check with your employer as they generally reimburse you for the commuter pass to travel to/from work. You may even need 2 different commuter passes if you travel on services operated by different companies.

Like I said, ICOCA have been covering every area in Japan since 2013, just like Kitaca, PASMO, Suica, manaca, toica, PiTaPa, Hayakaken, nimoca and SUGOCA does.

https://www.jr-odekake.net/icoca/area/

After Landing in japan Mr A will buy commute pass: its totally nonsense idea.

As a newcomer of japan,as a foreigner you dont know,where is your work place, where is your accommodation ,where is super market
And you need to visit them often as a compu lsory either by bus or train
If you are a resident of japan,such as Likebike or uco, you can buy commute pass after landing in japanese airport.

Solution:my japanese friend already tell u in details.regional pass,such as surutto kansai pass or JR kansai area pass will give you better idea about yournew city,newworkplace
How can a newcomer bought commute pass where he has no idea of his new city

If you are a resident of japan,such as Likebike or uco, you can buy commute pass after landing in japanese airport.

I'm not sure if I understand what the poster is trying to say, but I would not buy a commuter pass at the airport unless I am told to do so by my employer. That is why I recommended the OP not to buy it at the airport upon arrival.