SUGOCA
 SUGOCA logo | |
| Location | Usable nationwide Distributed in Kyushu |
|---|---|
| Launched | March 1, 2009 (15 years ago) |
| Operator | Kyushu Railway Company |
| Manager | Kyushu Railway Company |
| Currency | Japanese yen |
| Stored-value | Pay as you go |
| Auto recharge | None |
| Unlimited use | None (Other non-related unlimited use passes available) |
| Validity |
|
| Variants |
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| Website | www |
SUGOCA (スゴカ, Sugoka) is a Japanese rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in and around Fukuoka Prefecture. The Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) introduced the system on March 1, 2009. The name is an acronym of "Smart Urban GOing CArd", while sugoka (凄か) in the local Kyūshū dialect means "great". 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.
On March 13, 2010, SUGOCA began interoperation with Nishitetsu's nimoca, Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau's Hayakaken, and JR East's Suica.[1] On March 5, 2011, in a reciprocal agreement with JR Central and JR West, SUGOCA became usable in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto, Okayama-Hiroshima and Nagoya metropolitan areas.[2] In 2013, interoperation was extended country-wide, and SUGOCA became usable in all major cities across Japan as part of the Nationwide Mutual Usage Service.[3]
Usable area[edit]
SUGOCA was implemented on March 1, 2009, in 124 JR stations in Fukuoka Prefecture, mainly in the Fukuoka-Kitakyūshū area. As of 2022 it's usable in a total of 124 stations of below lines.
- Chikuhi Line: Meinohama to Karatsu
- Chikuhō Main Line: (Fukuhoku Yutaka Line, Wakamatsu Line): Wakamatsu to Keisen
- Hohi Main Line: Kumamoto to Higo-Ōzu, and Nakahanda to Ōita
- de facto allow travelling between Higo-Ōzu and Naka-Handa if no alights of train on halfway stations
- Ibusuki Makurazaki Line: Kagoshima-Chūō to Kiire
- Kagoshima Main Line: Mojikō to Yatsushiro, and Sendai to Kagoshima (the currently whole line)
- Karatsu Line: Karatsu to Nishi-Karatsu
- Kashii Line (Umi-no-Nakamichi Line): the whole line
- Kyudai Main Line: Kurume to Zendōji, and Mukainoharu to Ōita
- de facto allow travelling between Zendōji and Mukainoharu if no alights of train on halfway stations
- Miyazaki Kuko Line: the whole line
- Nagasaki Main Line: Tosu to Saga, and Isahaya to Nagasaki (includes Nagayo branch)
- Nichinan Line: Minami-Miyazaki to Tayoshi
- Nippō Main Line: Nishi-Kokura to Kōzaki, Sadowara to Tano, and Kokubu to Kagoshima (except for Ryūgamizu)
- Omura Line: Isahaya to Takematsu
- scheduled to implement supports for Haiki to Huis Ten Bosch section by 2024[4]
- Sanyō Main Line: Shimonoseki to Moji (the whole line of JR Kyushu operation)
- Sasaguri Line (Fukuhoku Yutaka Line): the whole line
- Sasebo Line (from 2024): the whole line[4]
Types of cards[edit]
There are currently three types of cards available. The SUGOCA ticket (SUGOCA乗車券, SUGOCA jōshaken) is available as either an unregistered or registered card (allowing riders' cards to be reissued if lost). The second is the SUGOCA commuter pass (SUGOCA定期券, SUGOCA teikiken), which requires registration. The third is SUGOCA Excel Pass (SUGOCAエクセルパス, SUGOCA Ekuseru Pasu) which can be used for non-reserved seats of limited express trains.
Othe SUGOCA variants and designs exist, such as the Mono SUGOCA, functionally identical to the normal SUGOCA but featuring a design of the Kitakyushu Monorail's Kokura Station. It was issued starting October 1, 2015.[5]
On January 23, 2020, JR Kyushu unveiled SUGOMON Pass, a SUGOCA variant designed for use by tourists to Japan. The card's design features Kumamon, the official mascot of Kumamoto. Unlike JR East's similar Welcome Suica for tourists, SUGOMON Pass has no expiry date and is refundable with a ¥220 handling fee.[6]
Extended functionality[edit]
SUGOCA's functionality includes electronic money and can be used at stores in Fukuoka Prefecture and at vending machines and convenience stores nationwide.
Part of the Nationwide Mutual Usage Service, SUGOCA is usable on public transportation across Japan.[3]
See also[edit]
- ICOCA (JR West: Kansai-area "Urban Network" and Hiroshima-Okayama metropolitan area)
- Nimoca
- Suica (JR East: Kantō area)
- TOICA (JR Central: Nagoya metropolitan area)
References[edit]
- ^ Official news release Archived 2008-02-11 at the Wayback Machine by JR Kyūshū, February 7, 2008. (in Japanese)
- ^ Official news release Archived 2011-03-08 at the Wayback Machine by JR West, November 25, 2009. (in Japanese)
- ^ a b Ito, Etsuro (October 2013). "Launch of Nationwide Interoperable Transport System IC Cards" (PDF). East Japan Railway Culture Foundation. Japan Railway & Transport Review. pp. 6–15. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
- ^ a b c "西九州エリアにICカード乗車券 SUGOCA を導入します！" (PDF). JR Kyushu (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-10-19.
- ^ ＩＣカード、ＱＲ乗車券ご利用ガイド. Kitakyushu Monorail (in Japanese). Kitakyushu Monorail Co., Ltd. 1 Oct 2015.
- ^ "Convenient IC card for foreign customers visiting Japan SUGOMONPASS". Kyushu Railway Company. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
External links[edit]
- Official website (in Japanese)
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Mass transit in Fukuoka–Kitakyushu area | |
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