IC cards (Suica etc.)Some cards or areas PくまモンのICカード (Kumamon IC Card)
Credit card touchAccepted PVisa, Mastercard etc. contactless
OperationOne-man train Pワンマン: the driver collects fares
Where you payOn board P
Change on boardChange machine P
Delays & suspensionsLive status →Japanese only; trains and buses
Step-free accessStation list →PEvery train carries a portable wheelchair ramp, so wheelchair users can board at any station, even where the platform is lower or higher than the train floor; the page lists no elevators or other station facilities.
IC cards and payment in detail
Only the local Kumamon IC Card works. Nationwide IC cards (Suica, SUGOCA, nimoca, ICOCA, PASMO etc.) have not been accepted since 15 November 2024: tap a contactless credit/debit card or phone instead, or pay cash. The Kumamon IC Card itself is being phased out: its issuer says transit use ends on 30 September 2027. P
全国共通交通系ICカード(Suica、SUGOCAなど)はご利用いただけません。
Where there is a step between platform and train, staff use the portable ramp carried on every train. P
How to ride from here P
Getting on
Contactless card, phone or Kumamon IC Card: before boarding, touch it for one second on the boarding reader (乗車リーダー) on the station platform.
Cash: take a numbered ticket (整理券 seiriken) on the train or on the platform when you board.
Getting off
Card or phone: touch it for one second on the reader at the exit door (降車口) when you get off. For a child or disability fare, or to pay for several people with one card, tell the driver before you touch.
Cash: find your 整理券 number on the fare display, and put the 整理券 and the exact fare into the fare box beside the driver.
The fare box gives no change for notes: change money at the change machine before you pay.
Passes valid on the lines at Kumamoto Kōsen-mae 4P
Day passes, regional passes and special tickets that include the lines at Kumamoto Kōsen-mae, cheapest first. Prices and rules change: check the official page before you buy.
¥14,000 Paper ticket (3 day-uses) · ¥13,000 my route digital version (3 day-uses)
Three one-day uses (one person 3 times, or up to 3 people on the same trip). Paper: within 3 months of purchase. my route: start within 7 days of purchase, use within 90 days; each day-use is valid until 2:00 the next morning.
Every train carries a portable wheelchair ramp. No advance booking is needed: come to any station at any time, and the driver or station staff will help you on and off where there is a gap between platform and train.