is a rechargeable contactless

smart card A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC or IC card) is a physical electronic authentication device, used to control access to a resource. It is typically a plastic credit card-sized card with an embedded integrated circuit (IC) c ...

ticketing system for public transport in

Sapporo ( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous ci ...

, Japan. Hokkaidō Railway Company (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 (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder, a radio receiver and transmitter. When triggered by an electroma ...

technology developed by

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

corporation known as

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''. First utilized in the Octopus card system in Hong Kong, the technology is used in a variety of card ...

. The card has an official mascot of ''Ezo momonga ( Pteromys volans orii),'' a kind of

flying squirrel Flying squirrels (scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini) are a tribe of 50 species of squirrels in the family Sciuridae. Despite their name, they are not in fact capable of full flight in the same way as birds or bats, but they a ...

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

Usable area

As of 2022, 55 stations in Sapporo area, including unmanned stations, accept Kitaca. * Hakodate Main Line: From

Otaru is a city and port in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces Ishikari Bay and the Sea of Japan, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a popular t ...

to Iwamizawa **It's planned that

Hakodate is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of ...

to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, and Iwamizawa to

Asahikawa is a Cities of Japan, city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture, and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a Core cities of Japan, core city since April 1, 2000. The city is ...

sections will also accept Kitaca by the Spring of 2024 * Chitose Line: From Shiroishi to Numanohata, and branch from Minami-Chitose to

New Chitose Airport is an international airport located south-southeast of Chitose and Tomakomai, Hokkaidō, Japan, serving the Sapporo metropolitan area. By both traffic and land area, it is the largest airport in Hokkaidō. It is adjacent to Chitose Air Ba ...

(the whole line) * Muroran Main Line: From Numanohata to

Tomakomai is a city and port in Iburi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the largest city in the Iburi Subprefecture, and the fourth largest city in Hokkaido. As of 29 February 2012, it had an estimated population of 174,216, with 83,836 households ...

* Sasshō Line (Gakuentoshi Line): From Sōen to Hokkaidō-Iryōdaigaku (the whole line)

Types of cards

*Unregistered Kitaca *Registered Kitaca: Requires registration. The card can be reissued when lost. *Kitaca commuter pass: Requires registration.

Credit card A credit card is a payment card issued to users (cardholders) to enable the cardholder to pay a merchant for goods and services based on the cardholder's accrued debt (i.e., promise to the card issuer to pay them for the amounts plus the o ...

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 compliant

mobile payment A mobile payment, also referred to as mobile money, mobile money transfer and mobile wallet, is any of various payment processing services operated under financial regulations and performed from or via a mobile device, as the cardinal class of ...

system was cancelled due to the cost.

Integration

Kitaca can be used anywhere that

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters ar ...

Suica is a prepaid rechargeable contactless smart card, electronic money used as a fare card on train lines in Japan, launched on November 18, 2001. The card can be used interchangeably with JR West's ICOCA in the Kansai region and San'yō region i ...

from spring 2009, including its electronic money function. Since late 2012, the card can also be used in lieu of a SAPICA, a smart card system introduced by

Sapporo City Transportation Bureau Sapporo City Transportation Bureau (札幌市交通局, ''Sapporo-shi Kōtsū-kyoku'') is a public organization of transportation in Sapporo, Japan. The organization operates subways and a tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in N ...

from January 2009. Since 23 March 2013, a national-wide IC card integration service has introduced, supports of TOICA,

ICOCA The card is a rechargeable contactless smart card used on the 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 (Keihanshin). I ...

SUGOCA 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 ...

PASMO is a rechargeable contactless smart card electronic money system. It is primarily used for public transport in Tokyo, Japan, where it was introduced on 18 March 2007. Pasmo can also be used as a payment card for vending machines and store ...

manaca Manaca, written in lower-case letters, is a rechargeable contactless smart card used in Nagoya, Japan and the surrounding area since February 11, 2011, when it replaced the Tranpass magnetic fare card system. As of March 23, 2013, it became ...

PiTaPa is a contactless smart card ticketing and electronic money system used in the Kansai region (and may also be used in some areas of Okayama Prefecture, Hiroshima Prefecture, and Shizuoka Prefecture) of Japan. The name ''PiTaPa'' is an acro ...

(but no electronic money supports), Hayakaken, and

nimoca Nimoka, stylized as , 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 ...

to and from Kitaca lieus are started.

References

External links

*
Official website
by JR Hokkaidō *
Official press release
by JR Hokkaidō {{Hokkaidō transit Fare collection systems in Japan Contactless smart cards