Iyotetsu runs Matsuyama’s city trams (市内電車, shinai densha), its suburban trains and local buses. A city tram ride costs ¥250 for an adult in cash, but ¥230 if you pay with a transit IC card such as ICOCA or Suica. This page compares the ways to pay on Iyotetsu trams, trains and buses, then covers fares, one-day passes, child fares and commuter passes.
In short
- A city tram ride is ¥250 for an adult in cash and ¥230 by IC card or the Mican app. You pay when you get off (section 1).
- Suica, ICOCA, PASMO and other nationwide transit IC cards work on almost all Iyotetsu trains and buses, with ¥20 off every adult ride (section 2).
- The Mican app gives the same ¥20 off plus points, but only on some lines, and it needs a smartphone with a Japanese phone number (section 3).
- The one-day passes are digital only: ¥2,000 for trams and suburban trains, ¥2,300 for trams and the limousine buses (section 5).
- Since October 1, 2026, the airport limousine bus leaves Matsuyama City Station from stop B3 (section 7).
Checked with official pages on October 11, 2026.
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Four ways to pay on Iyotetsu trams, trains and buses
Iyotetsu (Iyotetsu Railway and Iyotetsu Bus)
| Way to pay | Adult fare (city tram) | Where it works | Before you ride |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transit IC card | ¥230 | Almost all trains and buses | Top up first |
| Mican app | ¥230 | Trams, limousine buses, some buses | Register and buy a ticket in the app |
| Cash | ¥250 | All lines | Coins or change |
| 1Day ticket | Unlimited rides | Depends on the ticket | Buy in an app |
On city trams and buses you pay when you get off. On suburban trains (郊外電車, kogai densha) you tap an IC card at the station gate, or buy a QR-code ticket from the ticket machine. Iyotetsu’s English page covers the airport and tourist-port limousine buses, the Botchan train and the one-day passes. Fares, IC card rules and commuter passes are on the Japanese pages. IYOTETSU Information (Iyotetsu, English) · How to ride trains and buses (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
1. How much is a ride?
Iyotetsu (Iyotetsu Railway and Iyotetsu Bus)
Since the fare change on April 1, 2026, a city tram ride is ¥250 for an adult and ¥130 for a child, or ¥230 and ¥120 if you pay cashless. The city tram has one flat fare for any distance. Suburban trains start at ¥250 (up to 3 km) and local buses start at ¥270, and both go up with distance. The cashless discount is ¥20 for adults and ¥10 for children, and Iyotetsu has offered it since October 2024. Fare change from April 1 (Iyotetsu, Japanese, February 27, 2026)
| Trip (adult) | Cash | IC card |
|---|---|---|
| City tram, any distance | ¥250 | ¥230 |
| Matsuyama City Station to Takahama | ¥520 | ¥500 |
| Matsuyama City Station to Yokogawara | ¥640 | ¥620 |
| Matsuyama City Station to Gunchu Port | ¥580 | ¥560 |
| Local bus, first fare | ¥270 | ¥250 |
| Airport limousine bus | ¥1,000 | ¥980 |
The cash fares for suburban trains are from Iyotetsu’s fare table of April 1, 2026. The IC card fares are our own calculation from the rule printed on that table: the regular fare minus ¥20. The airport bus fare is from Matsuyama Airport to JR Matsuyama Station or Matsuyama City Station. To Okaido or Dogo Onsen it is ¥1,200 (¥1,180 cashless). Suburban train fare table (PDF, Japanese) · Matsuyama Airport Limousine Bus (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
For buses, shuttles and parking between the airport and the city, see Getting to Matsuyama Airport.
2. Can I use Suica, ICOCA or other IC cards?
Iyotetsu (Iyotetsu Railway and Iyotetsu Bus)
Yes. Nationwide transit IC cards work on almost all Iyotetsu trains and buses, and every adult ride is ¥20 cheaper. This includes ICOCA, Suica and the smartphone versions such as Mobile ICOCA. The exceptions are highway buses and the Niihama express bus runs operated by Setouchi Bus. Tickets and discounts (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
Where you tap depends on the vehicle:
- City tram: do nothing when you board. Tap the reader at the exit door when you get off.
- Local bus, limousine bus, express bus: tap when you board and again when you get off.
- Suburban train: tap at the station gate when you enter and when you leave.
One card pays for one person only, so you cannot pay for two people with one card. You also cannot add cash to a low balance: top up the card, or pay the whole fare in cash. You cannot top up on board trams or buses, so add money first at a convenience store or similar. Using ICOCA (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
If you do not have a card yet, Iyotetsu sells ICOCA for ¥2,000 (a ¥500 deposit plus ¥1,500 to spend). You can buy it at the Iyotetsu Ticket Center, the Iyotetsu Travel Okaido office and the main suburban stations, and you fill in no form. Mobile ICOCA on a smartphone needs no deposit, but you must add at least ¥1,000 when you register. Ehime CATV’s cable shops help you install and start the app for free. Buying and topping up ICOCA (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
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3. What is the Mican app, and where does it work?
Iyotetsu (Iyotetsu Railway and Iyotetsu Bus)
The Mican app gives the same ¥20 discount as an IC card, but it works only on some lines. On the city tram and the limousine buses you also get points. The ¥20 discount with the app applies only on the city tram (not the Botchan train), the Matsuyama Airport and Matsuyama Tourist Port limousine buses, the Kume-Kubota line, the Matsuyama loop line, and the Umemoto, Mitsu and Yogo-Imade loop lines. On suburban trains and other local buses, use an IC card or cash instead.
- Add money to the app. Charge it from a registered bank account or credit card.
- Buy a ticket for the line you are riding. Choose the transport, the ticket and the number of people.
- Tap “使う” (use) just before you show the screen to the crew. The ticket has a time limit, so do not tap it early.
Note
Iyotetsu says the Mican app needs a smartphone with a contract on a Japanese phone number. The app’s guide pages are in Japanese. Mican app manual (Japanese) · Mican app (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
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4. How do I pay in cash?
Iyotetsu (Iyotetsu Railway and Iyotetsu Bus)
On the city tram, just board. When you get off, put the fare in the fare box. The fare box gives no change, so use the change machine on the fare box first. There is one at both the front and the back of the tram, but it does not take ¥10,000 or ¥5,000 bills.
- Take a numbered ticket (整理券, seiriken) when you board a local bus. Some lines do not use them (see below).
- Check the fare for your number on the display at the front. Press the stop button before your stop.
- Put the numbered ticket and the fare in the fare box when you get off. Break bills in the change machine first.
You do not need a numbered ticket on the Matsuyama loop line, the Umemoto loop line, the Kume-Kubota line, the airport limousine bus between JR Matsuyama Station or Matsuyama City Station and the airport, and the Matsuyama Tourist Port bus. On the Yogo-Imade loop line, buses toward Matsuyama City Station and Doida still use them. For suburban trains, buy a QR-code ticket from the station machine and hold it over the reader at the gate. How to ride trains and buses (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
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5. Which one-day pass should I buy?
Iyotetsu (Iyotetsu Railway and Iyotetsu Bus)
The Tram + Train 1Day ticket is ¥2,000 for adults, and the Tram + Limousine Bus 1Day ticket is ¥2,300. Both are digital tickets on a smartphone, and no paper version is sold. Children pay half.
| Ticket | Covers | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tram + Train 1Day | All city tram and suburban train lines | ¥2,000 | ¥1,000 |
| Tram + Limousine Bus 1Day | City trams, airport and tourist port limousine buses | ¥2,300 | ¥1,150 |
The Tram + Train ticket is sold only in Jorudan’s app, called Japan Transit Planner in Iyotetsu’s English flyer (Norikae Annai), and one phone holds one person’s ticket. The Tram + Limousine Bus ticket is sold in the Mican app and in Jorudan’s app. Neither covers the Botchan train. On the day you use one, the standard gondola of the Kururin Ferris wheel at Iyotetsu Takashimaya costs ¥500 per person. Tram + Train 1Day (Iyotetsu, Japanese) · Tram + Limousine Bus 1Day (Iyotetsu, Japanese) · 1Day ticket flyer (PDF, English)
In Jorudan’s app you can pay by credit card, PayPay, au PAY and other cashless methods. On trams and limousine buses, show the ticket screen to the crew. On suburban trains, hold the QR code over the reader at the gate. One-way tickets for the airport limousine bus are also sold in Jorudan’s app and on ANA’s 旅CUBE service. Iyotetsu’s English page links to Jorudan’s limousine bus ticket page. Jorudan tickets (Iyotetsu, Japanese) · MaaS Limousine Bus Ticket (Jorudan, linked from Iyotetsu’s English page) · Airport digital bus ticket (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
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6. What do children pay, and how do commuter passes work?
Iyotetsu (Iyotetsu Railway and Iyotetsu Bus)
Elementary school children (age 6 up to 12) pay half the adult fare, rounded up to the next ¥10. Children aged 1 up to 6 ride free, two per paying adult or child; the third pays the child fare. On express and limousine buses, only one child per paying passenger rides free. Babies under 1 are free. These free rides do not apply on highway buses. Tickets and discounts (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
A Child ICOCA (小児用ICOCA) needs an official document showing the child’s age the first time you buy it. A parent can buy it, but only the child named on the card can use it. It works until March 31 of the school year in which the child turns 12. If you pay cash, the child fare applies until the day before the junior high school entrance ceremony. Child ICOCA (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
Commuter passes are loaded onto an ICOCA card and go on sale 14 days before the start date. One card can combine up to four types of line: suburban train, city tram, local bus and loop bus. Iyotetsu says a one-month commuter pass costs about 34% less than IC fares on trains and about 33% less on buses. The card does not show your route, so carry the pass details slip (定期券内容控) you get at the counter. ICOCA commuter passes (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
Work commuter passes can also be bought online through iCONPASS and loaded onto your ICOCA card or Mobile ICOCA. It takes orders from 6:00 to 22:00, you pay by credit card or at a convenience store, and the pass works from the next day at the earliest. You cannot buy an Iyotetsu pass inside the Mobile ICOCA app itself. iCONPASS (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
Riders aged 80 and over can buy a Silver commuter pass for ¥12,880 a month. It covers all trains (not the Botchan train) and all buses except highway, express, limousine and Iyotetsu Nanyo Bus routes. You can also buy it from age 75 with a driving history certificate (運転経歴証明書), or if you were born in 1951 or earlier. The first time, bring a 3 cm × 2.5 cm photo and an official document showing your age.
7. What has changed recently in Matsuyama?
Iyotetsu (Iyotetsu Railway and Iyotetsu Bus)
Iyotetsu’s own IC card, the IC i-card (ICい〜カード), ended all service on September 30, 2025. The balance is refunded in cash with no fee until October 31, 2030, only at the Iyotetsu Ticket Center. Refunds by mail are not accepted, and the balance cannot be moved to ICOCA. IC i-card (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
Round-trip and coupon tickets for buses stopped selling on August 31, 2026. The ways to pay less are now the cashless ¥20 discount, commuter passes and the one-day passes.
From October 1, 2026, some bus stops at Matsuyama City Station moved because of work on the station square. The Matsuyama Airport limousine bus moved from stop B2 to B3, and the local bus on the Matsuyama Airport line moved from B2 to A1. Bus stop changes at Matsuyama City Station (Iyotetsu, Japanese, September 2, 2026)
The Botchan train, a tourist tram linking Dogo Onsen with Matsuyama City Station and JR Matsuyama Station, runs only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (not December 30 to January 3). A ride is ¥1,300 for adults and ¥650 for children. IC cards work, and the crew takes the payment when you board. It cannot be reserved. For same-day departures from Dogo Onsen, numbered tickets are handed out at the Dogo ticket counter from 8:30. Botchan train (Iyotetsu, Japanese)
8. Which way to pay should I choose?
Matsuyama City
- You live in Matsuyama and ride trams or buses. One transit IC card or Mobile ICOCA takes ¥20 off almost every adult ride.
- You ride the city tram and airport bus often and have a Japanese phone number. The Mican app adds points on those lines.
- You travel the same route every day. Compare an ICOCA commuter pass.
- You are visiting and only ride the city tram. At ¥230 a ride by IC card, eight rides are ¥1,840 and nine are ¥2,070, so the ¥2,000 Tram + Train 1Day ticket costs less only from the ninth tram ride (our own calculation).
- You are going out to Takahama, Yokogawara or Gunchu Port and back. That is when the Tram + Train 1Day ticket is most useful.
Common questions
Do Suica and PASMO get the ¥20 discount too?
Yes. The discount applies to all nationwide transit IC cards, including smartphone versions, and to the Mican app. It is not only for ICOCA.
Can I pay for my child and me with one IC card?
No. One card pays for one person per ride. Pay the child’s fare with the child’s own card or in cash.
Can I move my IC i-card balance to ICOCA?
No. Get a cash refund at the Iyotetsu Ticket Center by October 31, 2030.
Can I top up my card on the tram?
No. Top-ups are not offered on trams or buses, so add money before you ride.
Can I reserve a seat on the Botchan train?
No. Iyotetsu does not take reservations. Line up at the tram stop on the day.
Next steps
Sources (checked October 2026)
12 pages we checked
- IYOTETSU Information (Iyotetsu, English)
- Tickets and discounts (Iyotetsu)
- Fare change from April 1, 2026 (Iyotetsu) and fare change application (Iyotetsu)
- Suburban train fare table, April 1, 2026 (PDF)
- How to ride trains and buses (Iyotetsu)
- Using ICOCA, buying ICOCA, Child ICOCA, commuter passes and iCONPASS (Iyotetsu)
- Tram + Train 1Day, Tram + Limousine Bus 1Day, Jorudan tickets and airport digital bus ticket (Iyotetsu)
- Matsuyama Airport Limousine Bus (Iyotetsu)
- Mican app (Iyotetsu) and Mican app manual
- IC i-card refunds (Iyotetsu)
- Bus stop changes at Matsuyama City Station (Iyotetsu)
- Botchan train (Iyotetsu)
Fares and payment methods can change. For trains and trams, ask Iyotetsu Railway (089-948-3323); for buses, ask Iyotetsu Bus (089-948-3172). The official pages are in Japanese unless marked “English”.
