SUGOCA

From JNSwiki

This article is recently imported from Wikipedia. You can help JNSwiki by assisting in cleaning the article up. Read the guidelines for article cleanup first.

SUGOCA (スゴカ, Sugoka^?) is a Japanese rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in Fukuoka Prefecture and the surrounding areas. Kyūshū Railway Company (JR Kyūshū) introduced the system from March 1 2009. The name is an acronym of "Smart Urban GOing CArd", while sugoka (凄か^?) in the Kyūshū dialect means "great". Like other electronic fare collection systems in Japan, the card uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology developed by Sony Corporation, known as FeliCa. American graphic artist Rodney Greenblat designed its official mascot, a frog with a clock.

Contents 1 Usable area 2 Types of cards 3 Future integrations 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Usable area

SUGOCA is introduced from March 1st 2009 in 124 stations of Fukuoka-Kitakyūshū area, mainly in Fukuoka Prefecture. It will be usable in 144 stations in future.

• Chikuhi Line: Meinohama — Nishi-Karatsu
  • From spring 2010.
• Chikuhō Main Line: (Fukuhoku Yutaka Line, Wakamatsu Line): Wakamatsu — Orio — Keisen
• Kagoshima Main Line (Fukuhoku Yutaka Line): Mojikō — Arao
• Karatsu Line: Karatsu — Nishi-Karatsu
  • From spring 2010.
• Kashii Line (Umi-no-Nakamichi Line): Saitozaki — Umi
• Nagasaki Main Line: Tosu — Saga
• Nippō Main Line: Nishi-Kokura — Nakatsu
• Sasaguri Line (Fukuhoku Yutaka Line): Keisen — Yoshizuka

The card is also usable as an electronic money in a few stores in Fukuoka Prefecture. It will eventually be usable in all am-pm convenience stores in Kyūshū.

Types of cards

• SUGOCA ticket
  • Unregistered card
  • Registered card: Needs a registration. The card can be reissued when lost.
• SUGOCA commuter pass: Needs a registration.
  • Commuter pass
  • Excell pass: Can be used for non-reserved seats of limited expresses.

Future integrations

The two other systems in Fukuoka, namely nimoca by Nishi-Nippon Railroad (Nishitetsu) and Hayakaken by Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau, as well as Suica, a card used in Greater Tokyo Area by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), will have integrated services from spring 2010. ^[1]

See also

• ICOCA (JR West: Kansai-area "Urban Network" and Hiroshima-Okayama metropolitan area)
• Suica (JR East: Kantō area)
• TOICA (JR Central: Nagoya metropolitan area)

References

External links

• (Japanese) Official website