乗Japan Train Trips
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How to ride trains in Japan

Shikoku

How to ride the Kochi tram (Tosaden): rear door in, pay at the front

とさでん交通 路面電車の乗り方

Board at the rear, take a numbered ticket, and pay as you leave by the front door — ¥230 flat in the city centre. Bring coins: Suica and ICOCA don't work in Kochi yet.

  • Board at the rear
  • Exit at the front
  • Pay when you get off
  • Local IC card only
  • Fare by distance
↑ OUT↓ IN◀ Front (driver)Rear ▶
Board at the rear Exit at the front

Tosaden's trams cross Kochi east–west and run from JR Kochi Station south through Harimayabashi. Inside the central flat-fare zone (Kochi-Ekimae – Harimayabashi – Sambashi-dori-Gochome, and Akebonocho-Higashimachi – Harimayabashi – Kera-dori) every ride is ¥230 for adults; beyond it the fare depends on distance.

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乗り方の流れ

Step by step

  1. 01Board at the rear door

    Get on through the rear door and take a numbered ticket (整理券) near the entrance — not needed between Sambashi and Kochi-Ekimae.

  2. 02Press the stop button

    Press the button when your stop is announced.

  3. 03Find your fare

    Check the fare display at the front against your numbered-ticket number.

  4. 04Change money if needed

    The change machine by the front door changes ¥1,000 notes only; the fare box gives no change.

  5. 05Pay and exit at the front

    Put the numbered ticket and the fare into the fare box by the front door. Day-pass holders put the numbered ticket in and show the pass's date to the driver.

Day passes

Paper day passes: city flat-fare zone ¥500 (child ¥250), whole network ¥1,000 (child ¥500). Buy them on board, at the Harimayabashi service centre, the Kochi Station bus information office or some hotels. Scratch off only the day you use it — scratching more than one date voids the pass.

Mobile passes (Jorudan Norikae Annai and RYDE PASS apps): 1-day ¥500 / ¥1,000, and 24-hour ¥600 (city) / ¥1,200 (whole network). Show the screen to the crew when you get off — if your phone dies, you pay the fare.

Changing trams at Harimayabashi

Paying cash, you can change at Harimayabashi or Dentetsu Terminal Building-mae: pay, then ask the driver for a transfer ticket (乗換券). Inside the flat zone it covers your next ride; beyond it you pay the difference (your fare minus ¥230). Day-pass holders don't need one.

Good to know

  • IC cards: Tosaden's guidance mentions only Kochi's local card, desuca (ですか); its bus guidance says cards from outside Kochi such as Suica can't be used. Carry coins or buy a day pass.
  • The JAPAN RAIL PASS is not valid on Tosaden trams.

Sources

Rules differ between railways and change from time to time — last checked 3 Nov 2026. Follow signs and staff on the day.