TOICA () is a rechargeable contactless

smart card A smart card (SC), chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC or IC card), is a card used to control access to a resource. It is typically a plastic credit card-sized card with an Embedded system, embedded integrated circuit (IC) chip. Many smart ...

ticketing system for

JR Central is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and occasionally as JR Tokai (). The term ''Tōkai'' refers to the southern portion of Central Japan, ...

railway network which was introduced in the Chūkyō Area (Greater

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

) of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

on November 25, 2006. The name is an abbreviation of " Tōkai IC Card". Like

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and 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 are in ...

's Suica or

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...

's ICOCA, 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 called a tag, a radio receiver, and a transmitter. When tri ...

technology developed by

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

known as FeliCa. TOICA - obverse

As of December 2007, a year after launch, 350,000 cards had been issued, and 50% of riders (and 70% of commuter pass holders) in the Nagoya area used the card. By Spring 2023, 3.27 million cards had been issued. Since 2013, it has been part of Japan's Nationwide Mutual Usage Service, allowing it to be used in major cities across the country.

Usable area

As of 2022, TOICA is currently accepted on JR Central lines in the following area: *

Tōkaidō Main Line The Tōkaidō Main Line () is one of the most important railway corridors in Japan, connecting the major cities of Tokyo and Kobe via Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. The line, with termini at Tokyo Station, Tokyo and Kōbe St ...

, between Atami and Maibara (the whole line of JR Central operation) ** Includes branch between Ōgaki and Mino-Akasaka ** East of Atami and west of Maibara, stations are served by Suica or ICOCA, see below on limitations when using * Gotemba Line, between Kōzu and

Numazu is a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 189,486 in 91,986 households, and a population density of 1,014 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Numazu is at the n ...

(the whole line) **East of Kōzu, stations are served by Suica * Minobu Line, between Fuji and Nishi-Fujinomiya *

Iida Line The is a Japanese railway line connecting Toyohashi Station in Toyohashi, Aichi with Tatsuno Station in Tatsuno, Nagano, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). The line links eastern Aichi Prefecture and southern Nagano Pr ...

, between

Toyohashi is a Cities of Japan, city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 377,453 in 160,516 households and a population density of 1,400 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . By area, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefec ...

and

Toyokawa is a Cities of Japan, city in the eastern part of Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 183,930 in 72,949 households, and a population density of 1,141 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Toyokawa, famou ...

* Taketoyo Line, between

Ōbu is a Cities of Japan, city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 92,179 in 39,382 households, and a population density of 2,739 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Ōbu has been a member of the ...

and Taketoyo (the whole line) *

Chūō Main Line The , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It connects Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faste ...

, between

and Nakatsugawa *

Kansai Main Line The is a railway line in Japan, which connects Nagoya Station with JR Namba Station in Osaka. It is jointly run by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West), with the boundary between both compan ...

, between Nagoya and Kameyama (the whole line of JR Central operation) **West of Kameyama, stations are served by ICOCA *

Takayama Main Line The is a Japanese railway line between Gifu Station in Gifu and Toyama Station in Toyama, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line directly links the Chūkyō Metropolitan Ar ...

, between

Gifu is a Cities of Japan, city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. Durin ...

and Mino-Ōta * Taita Line, between Mino-Ōta and Tajimi (the whole line) Since 2018, TOICA is also supported on the Aichi Loop Line (Aikan).

Interoperation

As of March 23, 2013, TOICA began interoperability with nine other major IC cards, allowing it to be used country-wide as part of Japan's Nationwide Mutual Usage Service. As such, it may be used interchangeably with manaca, Suica (including Mobile Suica), PASMO, ICOCA, SUGOCA, and other cards. Prior to the beginning of nationwide interoperability, TOICA became interoperable with Suica and ICOCA in March 2008 and with SUGOCA in March 2011. Smart card systems in

Shizuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,555,818 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Pref ...

, namely LuLuCa ( Shizuoka Railway) and NicePass ( Enshu Railway), are yet to be integrated.

References

External links

*
Official website
{{Authority control Fare collection systems in Japan Contactless smart cards Rail transport in Nagoya Rail transport in Aichi Prefecture 2006 introductions 2006 establishments in Japan Transport in Nagoya Japanese inventions