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 Sapporo

Sapporo, Hokkaido

is the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan....

, 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...

. Hokkaidō Railway Company

Hokkaido Railway Company

The is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group , and thus often known as . It operates intercity rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a smart card ticketing system, from autumn 2008....

 (JR Hokkaidō) introduced the system from October 25 2008. Its name means "the card of ", while 北 is also the first character of . 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...

. The card has an official mascot of Ezo momonga (pteromys volans

Siberian Flying Squirrel

The Siberian Flying Squirrel is an Old World flying squirrel with a range from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific coast in the east. It is the only species of flying squirrel found in Europe...

 orii), a kind of flying squirrel

Flying squirrel

Flying squirrels, scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini, are a tribe of 44 species of squirrels .- Description :...

 found in Hokkaidō. The mascot is designed by Sora, an illustrator who lives in Sapporo.

Usable area

55 stations in Sapporo area, including unmanned stations, accept Kitaca.

• Hakodate Main Line
  Hakodate Main Line
  is a railway line between the cities of Hakodate and Asahikawa in Hokkaido, Japan. It is one of the trunk lines operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company ....
  
  : From Otaru
  Otaru Station
  is a railway station on the JR Hokkaido Hakodate Main Line. It is located in Otaru, Hokkaidō, Japan.-Station structure:* 2-way, 4-track, above-ground station.Platforms...
  
   to Iwamizawa
  Iwamizawa Station
  is a railway station on the JR Hokkaido. It is located in Iwamizawa, Hokkaidō, Japan.-Station structure:The station has three platforms serving five tracks.PlatformsOrdinary tickets, express tickets, and reserved-seat tickets for all JR lines are on sale....
  
  
• Chitose Line
  Chitose Line
  is a railway line in Hokkaidō operated by JR Hokkaidō, between Numanohata, Tomakomai and Shiroishi Station, Shiroishi Ward, Sapporo, linking Muroran Main Line and Hakodate Main Line. There also is a branch line to New Chitose Airport.-Basic Data:...
  
  : From Sapporo
  Sapporo Station
  is a train station located in Kita-ku and Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is served by Hakodate Main Line and other lines of Hokkaido Railway Company , and is also connected to the Sapporo Subway. The JR Hokkaido part is in Kita-ku while the Sapporo Subway part is in Chūō-ku.Sapporo Station...
  
   to Shin-Chitose-Kūkō (New Chitose Airport
  New Chitose Airport
  , is an airport located south southeast of Chitose and Tomakomai, Hokkaidō, Japan, serving the Sapporo metropolitan area. By land area, it is the largest airport in Hokkaidō....
  
  ) and to Tomakomai
  Tomakomai Station
  is a railway station in Tomakomai, Hokkaidō, Japan, operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company .-Station layout:* Above-ground station with two platforms serving four tracks....
  
  
• Sasshō Line
  Sasshō Line
  The is a railway line in Japan operated by Hokkaido Railway Company , which runs between in Sapporo and in Shintotsukawa, Hokkaidō. Its name comes from and , the latter of which was terminus of the line until it was truncated at Shin-Totsukawa in 1972.-Stations:...
  
   (Gakuentoshi Line): From Sapporo to Hokkaidō-Iryō-Daigaku

Types of cards

• Unregistered Kitaca
• Registered Kitaca: Needs a registration. The card can be reissued when lost.
• Kitaca commuter pass: Needs a registration.

Credit card

Credit card

A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...

 function is also considered. North Pacific Bank, the largest local bank of Hokkaidō, considers to include Kitaca's functions to its credit card Clover.

A plan to introduce an Osaifu-Keitai

Osaifu-Keitai

, literally meaning "Wallet Mobile", is a trademark of NTT DoCoMo, which developed the system. It refers to mobile phones that integrate Sony's Mobile FeliCa ICs, as well as to services provided by applications on these phones....

 compliant mobile payment

Mobile Payment

Mobile financial services, also referred to as mobile money, mobile payment, mobile banking, mobile money transfer and mobile wallet generally refer to payment services operated under financial regulation and performed from or via a mobile device....

 system was cancelled due to the cost.

Future integrations

The card will have an integration service with 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...

 from spring 2009, including its 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...

 function.

The service with SAPICA

SAPICA

is a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in Sapporo, Japan. Sapporo City Transportation Bureau introduced the system from January 30 2009. The name of the card means "Sapporo's IC card". is also the sound of quickly pulling a card out and is the sound...

, a smart card system introduced by Sapporo City Transportation Bureau

Sapporo City Transportation Bureau

Sapporo City Transportation Bureau is a public organization of transportation in Sapporo, Japan. The organization operates subways and a tram. It was founded in 1927, when the city took private tram lines. The bureau also started to operate bus lines from 1930, subways from 1971. However, from...

from January 2009, was initially considered, but they decided to introduce the different systems because of the technical and financial difficulties. However, the two operators hope to start an integration service in future.

External links

Official website by JR Hokkaidō Official press release by JR Hokkaidō