Hokkaido
How to ride the Sapporo streetcar: board at the rear, pay ¥230 at the front
札幌市電（路面電車）の乗り方
Board at the rear, pay a flat ¥230 (child ¥120) at the front as you get off — nothing to take or tap when you board. Nationwide IC cards and, since April 2026, contactless credit cards work. Day pass ¥570.
- Board at the rear
- Exit at the front
- Pay when you get off
- IC cards OK
- Flat fare
Sapporo's streetcar (Sapporo Shiden) is run by the Sapporo Transportation Service Promotion Corporation.
Every ride costs ¥230 for adults and ¥120 for children. You get on at the back and get off at the front, paying as you leave.
乗り方の流れ
Step by step
01Get on at the rear
Board through the rear door. You don't take a ticket or tap an IC card when you get on.
02IC card: tap once as you get off
Tap your card firmly on the reader at the front as you get off. SAPICA, Kitaca, Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, manaca, TOICA, PiTaPa and the other nationwide cards work. You can top up on board, but only with ¥1,000 notes, one at a time — avoid it when the tram is crowded.
03Contactless card: tap the separate reader
Since 27 April 2026 you can pay by tapping a contactless credit, debit or prepaid card — or a phone with one set up — on the dedicated reader as you get off. Paying for several people or a child fare? Tell the driver before you tap.
04Cash: into the fare box
Put the fare (or a transfer ticket) into the fare box by the driver.
05Get off at the front
Leave through the front door next to the driver. Day-pass holders show the pass to the driver instead of paying.
Passes
The Sapporo Shiden one-day pass costs ¥570 (child ¥290). It's valid only on the day you buy it (no advance sales) and only on the streetcar — not the subway or buses. A mobile version and a mobile-only 24-hour pass (¥840, child ¥420) are sold in Jorudan's Norikae Annai app and on the Gurutto Hokkaido website, and come with digital coupons for sights along the line.
On Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and over New Year (29 December – 3 January), the Dosanko Pass covers one adult and two children for ¥460 for the day.
Good to know
- IC cards get the subway–streetcar transfer discount automatically.
- At ¥230 a ride, the ¥570 day pass pays off on your third ride.
- The JAPAN RAIL PASS covers JR lines only, so it isn't valid on the streetcar.
Sources
- Sapporo Transportation Service Promotion Corp.: Route map and how to ride (Japanese)
- Sapporo Transportation Service Promotion Corp.: Fares and passes (Japanese)
Rules differ between railways and change from time to time — last checked 9 Nov 2026. Follow signs and staff on the day.