is a 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 Kanazawa

Kanazawa, Ishikawa

is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.-Geography, climate, and population:Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. Its total area is 467.77 km².Kanazawa's...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, introduced by Hokuriku Railroad

Hokuriku Railroad

The is a transportation company in Kanazawa, Japan. The company or its lines are commonly known as . The company was founded in 1943, when all the private railway and bus operators in Ishikawa Prefecture were merged into one. Some of its lines, however, have their roots from horse car lines in the...

 (Hokutetsu), from December 1, 2004. The name is the portmanteau of IC

Integrated circuit

An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...

and card, as well as ai (love), hoping the card will be loved by users. Just like JR East

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....

's 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...

 or JR West

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:...

's 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...

, 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...

. There is a mascot fairy character called .

Types of cards

• Normal cards
  • Prepaid card
  • Commuter pass
  • Junior card
  • Special discount card
• Memorial card

Bus lines

Both prepaid cards and commuter passes are accepted. Basically, only local bus lines in/around Kanazawa accept the card.

• Hokuriku Railroad
  Hokuriku Railroad
  The is a transportation company in Kanazawa, Japan. The company or its lines are commonly known as . The company was founded in 1943, when all the private railway and bus operators in Ishikawa Prefecture were merged into one. Some of its lines, however, have their roots from horse car lines in the...
  
  
• Hokutetsu Bus
• Hokutetsu Kanazawa Chūō Bus
• Kaga Hakusan Bus
• Kanazawa Flat Bus

Railway lines

Only commuter passes are accepted.

• Asanogawa Line
  Hokuriku Railroad Asanogawa Line
  The is a Japanese railway line which connects Kanazawa Station in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture with Uchinada Station in Uchinada, Ishikawa Prefecture. It is owned and operated by Hokuriku Railroad...
  
  
• Ishikawa Line
  Hokuriku Railroad Ishikawa Line
  The is a railway line owned and operated by Hokuriku Railway in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. The line stretches 13.8 km from the city of Kanazawa to Hakusan with a total of 16 stations.-Service:...
  
  

External links

Official website by Hokuriku Railroad