Nimoca
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Nimoca (Japanese: ニモカ, romanized: Nimoka), stylized in lowercase as nimoca, is a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Nishi-Nippon Railroad (Nishitetsu) introduced the system on May 18, 2008. Its name is an acronym of "nice money card", while nimo (にも) in Japanese means "also", as the card is usable also on buses, also on trains, also for shopping, and so on. Like other electronic fare collection systems in Japan, the card uses FeliCa, an RFID technology developed by Sony.[1]
The card features a ferret named Nimoca-chan as the official mascot.
Nimoca can be used across Japan as part of the Nationwide Mutual Usage Service.[2] Along with all trains in Fukuoka, Nimoca is usable on most local, highway, and express bus lines in Fukuoka and neighboring prefectures, including those operated by Nishitetsu Group, Showa Bus, Oita Bus, Oita Kōtsū, Kamenoi Bus, and Showa Bus. As electronic money, Nimoca can be used in Solaria Plaza, Solaria Stage, Tenjin Core, Nishitetsu Store (along Tenjin-Ōmuta Line), and more.
In 2017, the card was expanded to public transport in Hakodate, Hokkaido.[3][4]
Types of cards
[edit]- nimoca
- Star nimoca (requires registration; can be reissued if lost)
- Credit nimoca (requires registration; includes credit card functionality)
All registered cards can also function as commuter passes. Other variants and designs, such as the tsu-tsu-nimoca (issued in Saga), nagasaki nimoca (issued in Nagasaki), ICAS nimoca (issued in Hakodate), and Mejiron nimoca (formerly issued in Ōita), also exist.
Interoperation
[edit]
On March 13, 2010, nimoca began interoperation with Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau's Hayakaken, JR Kyushu's SUGOCA, and JR East's Suica smart cards.[5] In 2013, interoperation was extended country-wide, and nimoca became usable in all major cities across Japan as part of the Nationwide Mutual Usage Service.[2]
Five bus and train operators in Kumamoto will cease to accept the cards by 2026.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "About FeliCa Technology". Sony. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "函館市電・函館バスのICカードも「イカす」 2017年春スタート". レスポンス（Response.jp） (in Japanese). 2016-11-18. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ "九州の交通系ＩＣニモカ、なぜポツンと函館に キタカのエリア拡大で激戦に？". 北海道新聞 (in Japanese). 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ Official news release Archived 2008-02-11 at the Wayback Machine by JR Kyūshū, February 7, 2008. (in Japanese)
- ^ https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/kumamoto-bus-train-firms-to-drop-national-ic-cards-embrace-new-cashless-payment-methods/ar-BB1nfD9U [bare URL]
External links
[edit]- (in Japanese) Official website
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 JR Kyushu |
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 Fukuoka City Subway | |
 Nishitetsu | |
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