SUGOCA - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

is a Japanese rechargeable contactless smart card

Smart card

A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...

ticketing system for public transport in Fukuoka Prefecture

Fukuoka Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....

and environs. The Kyūshū Railway Company

Kyushu Railway Company

The , also referred to as , is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group . It operates intercity rail services in Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait between Fukuoka and Busan, South Korea.When Japan Railways was divided in...

(JR Kyūshū) introduced the system on 1 March 2009. The name is an acronym of "Smart Urban GOing CArd", while in the local Kyūshū dialect means "great".

On March 13, 2010, SUGOCA has been interoperated with two similar cards in Fukuoka—namely nimoca

Nimoca

is a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Nishi-Nippon Railroad introduced the system on May 18, 2008. Its name is an acronym of "nice money card", while in Japanese means "also," as the card is usable also on buses, also on...

by Nishi-Nippon Railroad

Nishi-Nippon Railroad

The , also called or NNR, is one of Japan's "Big 16" private railroad companies. With headquarters in Fukuoka, it operates local and highway buses, supermarkets, real-estate and travel agencies, as well as railways in Fukuoka Prefecture. In addition, from 1950 to 1972, the company owned the Lions...

(Nishitetsu) and Hayakaken

Hayakaken

is a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau introduced the system from 7 March 2009. Its name stands for , , , and . also means "Because it's quick" in Kyūshū dialect...

from Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau

Fukuoka City Subway

The serves Fukuoka, Japan. It consists of three subway lines, the Kūkō, or Airport Line, the Hakozaki Line and the Nanakuma Line).The lines are operated by the . Unlike most other public operators in Japan, the company only operates subways without any bus lines....

—plus Suica

Suica

is a rechargeable contactless smart card used as a fare card on train lines in Japan. Launched in November 2001, the card is usable currently in the Kantō region, at JR East stations near Sendai and Niigata...

, a card used in Greater Tokyo Area

Greater Tokyo Area

The Greater Tokyo Area is a large metropolitan area in Kantō region, Japan, consisting of most of the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tokyo . In Japanese, it is referred to by various terms, including the , , and others....

by East Japan Railway Company

East Japan Railway Company

is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....

(JR East). Additionally, since March 5, 2011, in a reciprocal agreement with Central Japan Railway Company

Central Japan Railway Company

The is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as . Its headquarters are located in the JR Central Towers in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.The company's operational hub is Nagoya Station...

(JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company

West Japan Railway Company

, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group companies and operates in western Honshū. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka.-History:...

(JR West), SUGOCA is also usable in Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto, Okayama

Okayama Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...

-Hiroshima

Hiroshima Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...

and Nagoya metropolitan

Chukyo Metropolitan Area

, sometimes called the Chūkyō region , is the name of a major metropolitan area in Japan that is centered on the city of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture. The area makes up the most urban part of the Tōkai region...

areas. Similarly, the TOICA

TOICA

is a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for JR Central railway network which was introduced in the Chūkyō Area of Japan on November 25, 2006.The name is an acronym for Tōkai IC Card...

card of JR Central and the ICOCA

ICOCA

The card is a rechargeable contactless smart card used on JR West rail network in Japan. The card was launched on November 1, 2003 for usage on the Urban Network, which encompasses the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe...

card of JR West can also be used on JR Kyushu rail services.

Like other electronic fare collection systems in Japan, the card uses RFID

Radio Frequency Identification

Radio-frequency identification is a technology that uses radio waves to transfer data from an electronic tag, called RFID tag or label, attached to an object, through a reader for the purpose of identifying and tracking the object. Some RFID tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the...

technology developed by Sony

Sony

, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....

Corporation, known as FeliCa

FeliCa

FeliCa is a contactless RFID smart card system from Sony in Japan, primarily used in electronic money cards. The name stands for Felicity Card...

. American graphic artist Rodney Greenblat

Rodney Greenblat

Rodney Alan Greenblat, born August 23, 1960 in San Francisco, California, is an American graphic artist known best in the United States for the visual style of the computer games PaRappa the Rapper and UmJammer Lammy, and in Japan for his comic Thunder Bunny. He was also the character designer for...

designed its official mascot, a frog with a clock.

Usable area

SUGOCA was implemented on March 1 2009, in 124 JR stations in Fukuoka Prefecture

Fukuoka Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....

, mainly in the Fukuoka

Fukuoka, Fukuoka

is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...

-Kitakyūshū

Kitakyushu, Fukuoka

is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan. It is midway between Tokyo and Shanghai.- Demographics :Kitakyūshū has a population of just under one million...

area. It will eventually be usable in a total of 144 stations in future.

Chikuhi Line
Chikuhi Line
The is a railway line in Japan running from Meinohama Station in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture to Karatsu Station in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, and from Yamamoto Station in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture to Imari Station in Imari City, Saga Prefecture....

: Meinohama — Nishi-Karatsu
- From March 13, 2010.
Chikuhō Main Line
Chikuho Main Line
The is a railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Part of Kyushu Railway Company , it runs from Wakamatsu Station in Kitakyūshū to Haruda Station in Chikushino.-Line data:*Company: JR Kyushu*Distance: Wakamatsu–Haruda 66.1 km...

: (Fukuhoku Yutaka Line
Fukuhoku Yutaka Line
The is the collective name for four sections of railway lines operated by Kyushu Railway Company in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan. It runs between Kurosaki Station and Hakata station .The sections called Fukuhoku Yutaka Line are:...

, Wakamatsu Line): Wakamatsu — Orio — Keisen
Kagoshima Main Line
Kagoshima Main Line
The is a major railway line operated by the Kyushu Railway Company between Mojikō in Kitakyūshū, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima City, at the southern end of Kyushu...

: Mojikō — Arao
Karatsu Line
Karatsu Line
The is a regional railway line in Saga Prefecture, Japan running from Kubota Station in Saga to Nishi-Karatsu Station in Karatsu. It was originally constructed to carry coal from the Karatsu coal field to the Port of Karatsu.-Route data:*Operators and distances...

: Karatsu — Nishi-Karatsu
- From March 13, 2010.
Kashii Line
Kashii Line
is a railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Part of the JR Kyushu, it runs from Saitozaki Station in Fukuoka to Umi Station in Umi.-Line data:*Company: Kyushu Railway Company*Distance: Saitozaki - Umi　25.4km*Gauge: 1067mm*Stations: 16*Tracks: Single...

(Umi-no-Nakamichi Line): Saitozaki — Umi
Nagasaki Main Line: Tosu — Saga
Nippō Main Line
Nippo Main Line
frame|Nippō Main LineThe is a railway line in Kyūshū, in southern Japan. Part of the Kyushu Railway Company system, it follows the east coast of the island. The line originates at Kokura Station in Kokura, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka...

: Nishi-Kokura — Nakatsu
Sasaguri Line
Sasaguri Line
is a rail line in Japan. Part of the JR Kyushu, it runs from Keisen Station in Keisen, Fukuoka Prefecture to Yoshizuka Station in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture.-Track data:*Company: JR Kyushu*Distance: 25.1 km*Gauge: 1067 mm*Stations: 11*Tracks: Single...

(Fukuhoku Yutaka Line): Keisen — Yoshizuka
Sanyō Main Line: Shimonoseki — Moji
- From March 5, 2011.

Future plans

Kagoshima Main Line
Kagoshima Main Line
The is a major railway line operated by the Kyushu Railway Company between Mojikō in Kitakyūshū, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima City, at the southern end of Kyushu...

: Arao — Yatsushiro and Sendai — Kagoshima
Hohi Main Line
Hohi Main Line
frame|tight|Hōhi Main LineThe is a railway line on Kyūshū, in southern Japan. Part of the Kyushu Railway Company system, it connects the west coast and the east coast of the island...

: Kumamoto — Higo-Otsu and Nakahanda — Oita
Ibusuki Makurazaki Line: Kagoshima Chuo — Kiire
Kyudai Main Line
Kyudai Main Line
is a railway line in Kyūshū. It originates at Kurume Station, Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture and ends at Ōita Station, Ōita in Ōita Prefecture. It is also known as the Yufu Kōgen Line....

: Kurume — Zendoji and Mukainoharu — Oita
Nagasaki Main Line: Nagasaki — Isahaya
Nippō Main Line
Nippo Main Line
frame|Nippō Main LineThe is a railway line in Kyūshū, in southern Japan. Part of the Kyushu Railway Company system, it follows the east coast of the island. The line originates at Kokura Station in Kokura, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka...

: Nakatsu — Kozaki and Kokubu — Kagoshima
Omura Line
Omura Line
is a railway line in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. Part of the JR Kyushu, it runs from Haiki Station in Sasebo to Isahaya Station in Isahaya.-Track data:*Company: Kyushu Railway Company*Distance: 47.6km*Gauge: 1067mm*Stations: 13*Tracks: Single...

: Isahaya — Takematsu
- All from 2012.

Types of cards

SUGOCA ticket
- Unregistered card
- Registered card: The card can be reissued when lost.

SUGOCA commuter pass (requires registration).
- Commuter pass
- Excell pass: Can be used for non-reserved seats of limited express
  Limited express
  A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes.- Japan :...
  
  es.

Extended Functionality

The card is also usable as an electronic money

Electronic money

Electronic money is money or scrip that is only exchanged electronically. Typically, this involves the use of computer networks, the internet and digital stored value systems...

or cashless card in a few stores in Fukuoka prefecture, or to purchase beverages at some drink machines. It will eventually be usable in all 'ampm

Ampm

ampm is a convenience store chain with branches located in several U.S. states including Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, recently in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida, and in several countries worldwide, including Japan...

' convenience stores in Kyūshū.

External links

Official website

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Usable area

Types of cards

Extended Functionality

See also

External links