SUGOCA

Design image of SUGOCA

Automatic turnstile of SUGOCA

How to use SUGOCA card

SUGOCA card reader for store

SUGOCA (スゴカ Sugoka) is a Japanese rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in Fukuoka Prefecture and environs. The Kyūshū Railway Company (JR Kyūshū) introduced the system on 1 March 2009. The name is an acronym of "Smart Urban GOing CArd", while sugoka (凄か) in the local Kyūshū dialect means "great".

On March 13, 2010, SUGOCA has been interoperated with two similar cards in Fukuoka—namely nimoca by Nishi-Nippon Railroad (Nishitetsu) and Hayakaken from Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau—plus Suica, a card used in Greater Tokyo Area by East Japan Railway Company (JR East).^[1] Additionally, since March 5, 2011, in a reciprocal agreement with Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West), SUGOCA is also usable in Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto, Okayama-Hiroshima and Nagoya metropolitan areas. Similarly, the TOICA card of JR Central and the ICOCA card of JR West can also be used on JR Kyushu rail services.^[2]

Like other electronic fare collection systems in Japan, the card uses RFID technology developed by Sony Corporation, known as FeliCa. American graphic artist Rodney Greenblat 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, mainly in the Fukuoka-Kitakyūshū area. It will eventually be usable in a total of 144 stations in future.

• Chikuhi Line: Meinohama — Nishi-Karatsu
  • From March 13, 2010.
• Chikuhō Main Line: (Fukuhoku Yutaka Line, Wakamatsu Line): Wakamatsu — Orio — Keisen
• Kagoshima Main Line: Mojikō — Arao
• Karatsu Line: Karatsu — Nishi-Karatsu
  • From March 13, 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
• Sanyō Main Line: Shimonoseki — Moji
  • From March 5, 2011.
• Kagoshima Main Line: Arao — Yatsushiro and Sendai — Kagoshima
• Hohi Main Line: Kumamoto — Higo-Otsu and Nakahanda — Oita
• Ibusuki Makurazaki Line: Kagoshima Chuo — Kiire
• Kyudai Main Line: Kurume — Zendoji and Mukainoharu — Oita
• Nagasaki Main Line: Nagasaki — Isahaya
• Nippō Main Line: Nakatsu — Kozaki and Kokubu — Kagoshima, except for Ryūgamizu
• Omura Line: Isahaya — Takematsu
  • From December 1, 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 expresses.

Extended Functionality

The card is also usable as an electronic money 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' convenience stores in Kyūshū.

From July 22, 2014, Pasmo cards can be used to pay for Wii U Nintendo eShop digital video games with the NFC function of the Wii U GamePad.^[3]

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

1. Official news release by JR Kyūshū, February 7, 2008. (Japanese)
2. Official news release by JR West, November 25, 2009. (Japanese)
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3mAYihmqrM

External links

• (Japanese) Official website