If you plan to ride the Kumamoto City Tram more than a couple of times in one day, or you also need a bus, a day pass can be cheaper than paying each fare. This guide lines up the tram-only day ticket against the wider “Wakuwaku 1-Day Pass”, which also covers Kumamoto Electric Railway and three bus operators.
In short
- Tram only: the 1-Day Tram Ticket is ¥500 (adult, mobile) or ¥700 (adult, paper). Children pay about half.
- Tram plus buses and the electric railway: the Wakuwaku 1-Day Pass starts at ¥900 for Zone① and goes up to ¥2,500 for the prefecture-wide version.
- The Wakuwaku Pass also comes as a 24-hour ticket, which is cheaper and does not have to be used up by midnight — useful if you arrive in the evening.
- Both passes give discounts at 20 sightseeing facilities, including Kumamoto Castle.
- Checked with official pages on 24 September 2026 (Japan time).
Checked with official pages on 24 September 2026.
1. Tram only: the 1-Day Tram Ticket
Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau (Kumamoto City Tram)
The Kumamoto City Tram’s own 1-Day Ticket (熊本市電の1日乗車券) is sold as a mobile ticket and as a paper ticket. It covers the tram only — you cannot use it on any bus.
| Adult | Child | |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile ticket | ¥500 | ¥250 |
| Paper ticket | ¥700 | ¥350 |
The mobile ticket is sold through the QUICK TRIP web app and through the Norikae Annai and My route apps, and must be used within 3 months of purchase. The paper ticket is sold at Transportation Bureau ticket counters, and the version on sale is valid from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2028. Showing either ticket gives a discount at 20 sightseeing facilities. 1-Day Ticket (Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau, Japanese)
2. Riding buses too: the Wakuwaku 1-Day Pass
Multiple operators
The Wakuwaku 1-Day Pass (わくわく1dayパス) also covers Kumamoto Electric Railway (train and bus), Sankou Bus, Kumamoto City Bus and Kumamoto Bus, on top of the tram. It is sold as a paper ticket at each operator’s ticket counters. Which zone you need depends on how far you will ride the Electric Railway train: Zone① reaches Horikawa, and Zone② reaches Suya. The prefecture-wide version covers the tram, the Electric Railway (train and bus) and Kumamoto City Bus on their entire networks.
| Pass | 1-day ticket | Electric Railway train covers |
|---|---|---|
| Zone① | ¥900 | Kamikumamoto / Fujisakigu-mae to Horikawa |
| Zone② | ¥1,200 | Kamikumamoto / Fujisakigu-mae to Suya |
| Prefecture-wide | ¥2,500 | Whole network |
3. The 24-hour ticket option
Multiple operators
The same Wakuwaku 1-Day Pass is also sold as a 24-hour ticket: ¥850 for Zone①, ¥1,100 for Zone②, and ¥2,300 for the prefecture-wide version. It is sold only through the My route and RYDE PASS apps, and you must start using it within 1 month of buying it.
The facility discounts apply only during the 24 hours the ticket is active, and cover the same 20 facilities, including Kumamoto Castle, the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art and the Kumamoto Museum, at their group rate. If you arrive in the evening and plan to keep moving until the next afternoon, the 24-hour ticket suits that schedule better, since you do not have to use it up before midnight. 24-Hour Ticket (Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau, Japanese)
4. Price comparison
| Pass | Adult / child | Coverage | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Day Tram Ticket (mobile) | ¥500 / ¥250 | Tram only | QUICK TRIP, Norikae Annai, My route |
| 1-Day Tram Ticket (paper) | ¥700 / ¥350 | Tram only | Ticket counters |
| Wakuwaku Zone① | 1-day ¥900 / 24-hour ¥850 | Whole tram network plus Electric Railway, Sankou, City and Kumamoto buses (train to Horikawa) | Paper: counters. 24-hour: apps |
| Wakuwaku Zone② | 1-day ¥1,200 / 24-hour ¥1,100 | Same as above (train to Suya) | Same as above |
| Wakuwaku prefecture-wide | 1-day ¥2,500 / 24-hour ¥2,300 | Tram, Electric Railway and Kumamoto City Bus, entire networks | Same as above |
Day passes for other Kyushu cities are collected in our Japanese guide, one-day passes in 7 Kyushu cities (Japanese).
Sources (checked September 2026)
- Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau: 1-Day Ticket (Japanese)
- Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau: 24-Hour Ticket (Japanese)
- Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau, official X account (@kumamoto_shiden), post embedded above
