Is a Tokyo Metro pass the same as Tokyo Subway Ticket?#
Metro 24-hour tickets and Tokyo Subway Ticket cover different operators. Hibiya and Ginza are Tokyo Metro lines; Oedo and Asakusa are Toei. Neither subway product includes the JR Yamanote Line.
| Product | Adult / child | Coverage and time |
|---|---|---|
| Metro-only 24-hour | ¥700 / ¥350 | Nine Metro lines only; 24 elapsed hours |
| Tokyo Subway Ticket 24-hour | ¥1,000 / ¥500 | Metro + Toei; check visitor sales eligibility |
| Metro + Toei common 1-day | ¥1,100 / ¥550 | Metro + Toei; use-day ticket, not 24 hours |
| Tokyo Combination 1-day | ¥1,720 / ¥860 | Specified JR 23-ward sections, Metro, Toei and more; chosen use day |
| Tokyo Subway Ticket 48-hour | ¥1,500 / ¥750 | Metro + Toei; 48 continuous hours |
| Tokyo Subway Ticket 72-hour | ¥2,000 / ¥1,000 | Metro + Toei; 72 continuous hours |
A Metro ticket does not automatically cover Toei or airport private railways. Check the operator after each transfer and identify whether the station nearest your hotel is JR or subway. Official open-ticket guide
If you are searching for a 72-hour Metro pass, check the exact product name. The Metro-only ticket here lasts 24 hours; the 48/72-hour products are Tokyo Subway Ticket, covering Metro plus Toei.
Variable facts checked: 2026-10-25. Next editorial review due: 2026-11-24. This is a review reminder, not a validity guarantee.
Buying, exchanging and starting Tokyo subway tickets#
- Choose the exact product: Metro only or Metro + Toei, and one operating day or 24/48/72 hours.
- Check eligibility and medium: Follow Tokyo Subway Ticket's official sales rules. An exchange voucher must be exchanged at a specified station before travel; it is different from a direct gate-entry QR ticket.
- Check when time starts: Metro 24-hour magnetic and QR tickets start at first gate entry, whereas PASMO starts at purchase. A same-day magnetic ticket requires its first use on purchase day.
- Use the matching gate: Insert and collect a magnetic ticket, or display the live QR to a compatible reader. Do not also tap an IC card for a ride already covered by the ticket.
The Tokyo Subway IC/EX channel is not available to every tourist on every PASMO. It requires a qualifying SmartEX/EX trip, evidence, specified offices and an eligible card, and time starts at purchase. Otherwise choose the ordinary visitor magnetic channel or another product for which you qualify.
How many Tokyo subway rides make a pass worthwhile?#
Ride count alone is not enough. Section fares and payment methods differ, and Toei or JR journeys outside a Metro-only ticket still cost extra.
Illustrative input: Compare one adult ride each on the Ginza Line between Ueno–Asakusa, Ginza–Shibuya and Shibuya–Asakusa on the same day. These three individual IC fares total ¥639. The input does not include transfers between those separate sections. That total is below both the ¥700 Metro 24-hour ticket and the ¥1,000 Tokyo Subway 24-hour ticket.
Add the real hotel-access and return journeys, plus any next-day travel within the valid hours. Paying for broader subway coverage can cost more if you never use Toei.
Compare your journeys in the pass calculator, including hotel access and next-day rides. Use the pass validity calendar to check the start and expiry of 24-, 48- or 72-hour tickets.
Variable facts checked: 2026-10-25. Next editorial review due: 2026-11-24. This is a review reminder, not a validity guarantee.