TOICA
Encyclopedia
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 JR Central
Central Japan Railway Company
The is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as . Its headquarters are located in the JR Central Towers in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.The company's operational hub is Nagoya Station...
railway network which was introduced in the Chūkyō Area
Chukyo Metropolitan Area
, sometimes called the Chūkyō region , is the name of a major metropolitan area in Japan that is centered on the city of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture. The area makes up the most urban part of the Tōkai region...
(Greater Nagoya) of 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...
on November 25, 2006.
The name is an acronym
Acronym and initialism
Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. These components may be individual letters or parts of words . There is no universal agreement on the precise definition of the various terms , nor on written usage...
for Tōkai
Tokai region
The is a sub-region of the Chūbu region in Japan that runs along the Pacific Ocean. The name means "East sea" and comes from the Tōkaidō, one of the Edo Five Routes...
IC Card. 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...
.
As of December 2007, 350,000 cards have been issued. In the Nagoya area, 50% of the riders, or 70% of the commuter pass holders, use the card.
Usable area
TOICA is currently accepted on JR Central lines in the following area:- Tōkaidō Main LineTokaido Main LineThe is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...
, between KannamiKannami Stationis a railway station on the Tōkaidō Main Line of Central Japan Railway Company in Kannami, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The station is 114.5 rail kilometers from Tokyo Station.- Station history:...
and Sekigahara - Chūō Main LineChuo Main LineThe , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faster, while the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is the fastest rail...
, between NagoyaNagoya Stationis a train station in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Japan. It is one of the world's largest train stations by floor area , and houses the headquarters of the Central Japan Railway Company . Much of this space is located in the "JR Central Towers" atop the station, as well as in underground concourses. The...
and Nakatsugawa - Kansai Main LineKansai Main LineThe is a Japanese railway line which connects Nagoya Station with JR Namba Station in Osaka. It is jointly run by the Central Japan Railway Company and the West Japan Railway Company with the boundary between both companies being located at Kameyama Station in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture.The section...
, between Nagoya and YokkaichiYokkaichi StationYokkaichi Station is a railway station on the Kansai Main Line , Ise Railway and Japan Freight Railway Company in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan.... - Taketoyo LineTaketoyo LineThe is a Japanese railway line which connects Ōbu Station in Ōbu, Aichi Prefecture with Taketoyo Station in Taketoyo, Aichi Prefecture. It is owned and run by Central Japan Railway Company ....
, (the whole line) between Ōbu and Taketoyo
Integrated services
TOICA is also usable in SuicaSuica
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...
accepting area (Greater Tokyo Area
Greater Tokyo Area
The Greater Tokyo Area is a large metropolitan area in Kantō region, Japan, consisting of most of the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tokyo . In Japanese, it is referred to by various terms, including the , , and others....
, Sendai
Sendai, Miyagi
is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tōhoku Region. In 2005, the city had a population of one million, and was one of Japan's 19 designated cities...
, and Niigata
Niigata, Niigata
is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island....
) and 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...
accepting area (Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto
Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto
is a Japanese metropolitan region encompassing the metropolitan areas of the cities of Osaka in Osaka prefecture, Kobe in Hyōgo Prefecture, and Kyoto in Kyoto prefecture. The entire region has a population of 18,644,000 over an area of 11,170 km²...
and Okayama
Okayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...
-Hiroshima
Hiroshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
) and SUGOCA
SUGOCA
is a Japanese rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in Fukuoka Prefecture and environs. The Kyūshū Railway Company introduced the system on 1 March 2009...
accepting area (Fukuoka
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
-Saga
Saga Prefecture
is located in the northwest part of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. It touches both the Sea of Japan and the Ariake Sea. The western part of the prefecture is a region famous for producing ceramics and porcelain, particularly the towns of Karatsu, Imari, and Arita...
). Suica (including Mobile Suica
Mobile Suica
is a service for Osaifu Keitai mobile phones, first launched on January 28, 2006 by NTT DoCoMo and au in Japan, and now also offered by SoftBank Mobile and Willcom. Suica is a prepaid rechargeable contactless smart card mainly used to pay for fares on the JR East railway network.Just like...
), ICOCA and SUGOCA are usable in TOICA accepting area as well. However, a card has to be used within a single area; for instance, it is not possible to use a card for the trip between Tokyo and Nagoya. The integrated service with Suica and ICOCA started in March 2008 and with SUGOCA in March 2011.
Future of TOICA
The smart card called manacaManaca
Manaca is a rechargeable contactless smart card used in Nagoya, Japan and the surrounding area since February 11, 2011. It replaced the existing Tranpass magnetic fare card system, both in scope and function.-Introduction:...
that will be introduced in February 2011 on Nagoya Railroad
Nagoya Railroad
, often abbreviated as , is a railroad company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan.Some of the more famous trains operated by Nagoya Railroad include the Panorama Car and the Panorama Car Super, both of which offer views through their wide front windows...
(Meitetsu) and Nagoya Municipal Subway
Nagoya Municipal Subway
is the subway system that serves the Nagoya, Aichi, Japan area. Like other large Japanese cities, Greater Nagoya's subways are heavily complemented by suburban rail, forming an extensive network of 47 lines rivaling cities such as New York and London...
, and slated to replace the current system, will have integrated service with TOICA by 2012 and Suica by 2013. Service with PiTaPa
PiTaPa
is a contactless smart card ticketing and electronic money system used in the Kansai region of Japan. The name PiTaPa is an acronym of "Postpay IC for Touch and Pay"...
for Kintetsu
Kintetsu
, named Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. in English until June 27, 2003, is a Japanese rail transit corporation commonly known as . It is the largest non-JR railway in Japan. Its complex network of lines connects Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Tsu and Ise...
and other private railway networks in Kansai region is also being considered.
However, there are no known plans to have integrated services with already existing smart card systems in Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
, namely LuLuCa
LuLuCa
is a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in Shizuoka, Japan, introduced by Shizuoka Railway group, from March, 2006. The card is officially called SHIZUTETSU CARD LuLuCa. Just like JR East's Suica or JR West's ICOCA, the card uses RFID technology developed by...
(Shizuoka Railway
Shizuoka Railway Shizuoka-Shimizu Line
is a LRT railway line in Shizuoka Prefecture, between Shin-Shizuoka in Aoi Ward and Shin-Shimizu in Shimizu Ward, all within the city of Shizuoka. Presently this is the only one railway Shizuoka Railway operates. The line was made to link previous Shimizu City and Shizuoka cities, until the former...
) or NicePass
NicePass
is a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in Hamamatsu, Japan, introduced by Enshū Railway group, from August 20, 2004, succeeding the previous ET Card, a magnetic prepaid card. The name is an acronym of New Intelligence Card of Entetsu Personal and Smart System...
(Enshu Railway
Enshu Railway Line
The Enshū Railway Line, officially the , is a Japanese railway line in Shizuoka Prefecture, running north from Shin Hamamatsu, Naka Ward through Nishi Kajima, Tenryū Ward, all within Hamamatsu. This is the only railway line Enshū Railway operates...
). There are also no integration plans with other cards, such as PASMO
PASMO
is a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport introduced in Tokyo, Japan, on March 18, 2007.Pasmo is a development of the system used by many non JR railway lines in the Tokyo region...
, SUGOCA
SUGOCA
is a Japanese rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in Fukuoka Prefecture and environs. The Kyūshū Railway Company introduced the system on 1 March 2009...
, or Kitaca
Kitaca
is a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in Sapporo, Japan. Hokkaidō Railway Company 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...
.