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.

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

v t e Mass transit in Fukuoka–Kitakyushu area Fukuoka City Subway lines Hakozaki Kūkō Nanakuma JR Kyushu lines Chikuhi Chikuhō Fukuhoku Yutaka Haruda Wakamatsu Gotōji Hitahikosan Kagoshima Karatsu Kashii Nippō Sasaguri (Fukuhoku Yutaka) Nishitetsu lines Amagi Dazaifu Kaizuka Tenjin Ōmuta Other lines Amatetsu Chikutetsu Heichiku Hobashira Cable Kitakyushu Monorail Terminals Hakata Kashii Kokura Kurosaki Nakasu-Kawabata Nishitetsu Fukuoka Orio Tenjin Tenjin-Minami Miscellaneous Hayakaken nimoca SUGOCA Rail transport in Japan Transport in Fukuoka-Kitakyushu