# Kitaca

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Smart card ticketing system used in Hokkaido, Japan

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Kitaca Normal unregistered Kitaca (on top) and the debut commemorative Kitaca (on bottom) Location Usable nationwide Distributed in Hokkaido Launched October 25, 2008 (17 years ago) Operator Hokkaido Railway Company Manager Hokkaido Railway Company Currency Japanese yen Stored-value Pay as you go Auto recharge None Unlimited use None (Other non-related unlimited use passes available) Validity JR Hokkaido Sapporo Municipal Subway Sapporo Streetcar Hokkaido Chuo Bus Valid areas of Suica, PASMO, manaca, TOICA, ICOCA, PiTaPa, SUGOCA, Hayakaken, nimoca Website www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/ticket/kitaca/index.html

Ticket gates with Kitaca readers at [Hassamu-Chūō Station](/source/Hassamu-Ch%C5%AB%C5%8D_Station), Sapporo

**Kitaca** ([Japanese](/source/Japanese_language): キタカ, [romanized](/source/Romanization_of_Japanese): *Kitaka*) is a rechargeable contactless [smart card](/source/Smart_card) ticketing system for public transport in [Sapporo](/source/Sapporo), [Japan](/source/Japan). It launched on October 25, 2008 and is managed by [Hokkaido Railway Company](/source/Hokkaido_Railway_Company). The card's name is a combination of the word for "north" (北, *kita*) and the [English loanword](/source/Japanese_words_of_english_origin) "card". 北 is also the first character of [Hokkaidō](/source/Hokkaid%C5%8D) (北海道). Like other electronic fare collection systems in Japan, the card uses [RFID](/source/Radio_Frequency_Identification) technology developed by [Sony](/source/Sony) corporation known as [FeliCa](/source/FeliCa). The card's mascot is an *ezo momonga ([Pteromys volans](/source/Siberian_Flying_Squirrel) orii),* a type of [flying squirrel](/source/Flying_squirrel) found in Hokkaidō, and was designed by Sora, an illustrator who lives in Sapporo.[1]

As of end August 2022, the number of cards issued was approximately 1.96 million.[2]

## Usable area

As of March 2024, 69 stations in the Sapporo-Asahikawa area, as well as 6 stations in the Hakodate area including unstaffed stations, accept Kitaca on the following lines.[3]

- [Hakodate Main Line](/source/Hakodate_Main_Line): From [Hakodate](/source/Hakodate_Station) to [Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto](/source/Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto_Station) and from [Otaru](/source/Otaru_Station) to [Asahikawa](/source/Asahikawa_Station)

- [Chitose Line](/source/Chitose_Line): From [Shiroishi](/source/Shiroishi_Station_(JR_Hokkaido)) to [Numanohata](/source/Numanohata_Station), and branch from [Minami-Chitose](/source/Minami-Chitose_Station) to [New Chitose Airport](/source/New_Chitose_Airport_Station) (the whole line)

- [Muroran Main Line](/source/Muroran_Main_Line): From Numanohata to [Tomakomai](/source/Tomakomai_Station)

- [Sasshō Line](/source/Sassh%C5%8D_Line) (Gakuentoshi Line): From [Sōen](/source/S%C5%8Den_Station) to [Hokkaidō-Iryōdaigaku](/source/Hokkaid%C5%8D-Iry%C5%8Ddaigaku_Station) (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](/source/Credit_card) function is also considered. North Pacific Bank, the largest local bank of Hokkaido, considers to include Kitaca's functions to its credit card *Clover*. A plan to introduce an [Osaifu-Keitai](/source/Osaifu-Keitai) compliant [mobile payment](/source/Mobile_payment) system was cancelled due to the cost.[4]

## Integration

Interoperation map

In 2009, Kitaca became interchangeable with [JR East](/source/East_Japan_Railway_Company)'s [Suica](/source/Suica), including its use of [electronic money](/source/Electronic_money) functionality.[5] Since late 2012, the card can also be used in lieu of a [SAPICA](/source/SAPICA), a smart card system introduced in 2009 by the [Sapporo City Transportation Bureau](/source/Sapporo_City_Transportation_Bureau).[6]

In 2013, interoperation was extended country-wide, and Kitaca became usable in all major cities across Japan as part of the [Nationwide Mutual Usage Service](/source/Nationwide_Mutual_Usage_Service).[7][8]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** (in Japanese) [北のカード「Kitaca」vol.4〜「エゾモモンガ」の生みの親〜](http://www.satsueki.jp/topics/detail.asp?id=49) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20081009122139/http://www.satsueki.jp/topics/detail.asp?id=49) 2008-10-09 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) (Northern card "Kitaca" vol.4, the crator of the "Ezo momonga"), from Satsueki.jp, retrieved on October 26, 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["『『ICカード Kitacaエリアを拡大します！』 〜2024年春、函館、旭川各エリアでKitacaサービスを開始します〜 (PDF) (Press Release) Hokkaido Railway Company"](https://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/CM/Info/press/pdf/220914_KO_Kitaca.pdf) (PDF). December 28, 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** JR Hokkaido. ["Usable Area"](https://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/ticket/kitaca/kitaca02.html). Retrieved 2022-10-19.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Hokkaidō Shimbun](/source/Hokkaid%C5%8D_Shimbun), October 16, 2008

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** (in Japanese) [Official press release](http://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/press/2007/071212-2.pdf) by JR Hokkaidō, December 12, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** (in Japanese) [JR北海道のICカード乗車券「Kitaca」が10月25日にスタート](http://bb.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/news/23613.html) (JR Hokkaidō's IC card ticket "Kitaca" starts on October 25) by BB Watch, October 25, 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-:03_7-0)** Ito, Etsuro (October 2013). ["Launch of Nationwide Interoperable Transport System IC Cards"](https://www.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/jrtr62/pdf/6-15_web.pdf) (PDF). *East Japan Railway Culture Foundation*. Japan Railway & Transport Review. pp. 6–15. Retrieved March 7, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["交通系ICカードの普及・利便性拡大に向けて"](https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001086916.pdf) (PDF). *[MLIT](/source/MLIT)*. Retrieved 2022-10-19.

## External links

- (in Japanese) [Official website](http://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/kitaca/) by JR Hokkaido

- (in Japanese) [Official press release](http://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/press/2007/070613-1.pdf) by JR Hokkaido

v t e Smart cards in Japan Fare collection Mutual Usage Kitaca (Sapporo, Hakodate; JR Hokkaido) Suica (Tokyo, Tōhoku, Nagano; JR East) TOICA (Nagoya, Tōkai; JR Central) ICOCA (Osaka, Chūgoku; JR West) SUGOCA (Kyushu; JR Kyushu) PASMO (Tokyo) manaca (Nagoya) PiTaPa (Osaka) Hayakaken (Fukuoka) nimoca (Kyushu, Hakodate; Nishitetsu) Other cards Asaca (Asahikawa) AIZU NORUCA (Aizuwakamatsu) CI-CA (Nara) DESUCA (Kōchi) DoCARD (Asahikawa) ecomyca (Toyama) EX-IC (Tōkaidō–San'yō Shinkansen) emica (Mie) Hareca (Okayama) Ibappi (Ibaraki) ICa (Kanazawa) IruCa (Takamatsu) itappy (Itami) Iwasaki IC Card (Kagoshima) kinoca (Wakayama) Kumamon no IC Card (Kumamoto) LuLuCa (Shizuoka) MOBIRY DAYS (Hiroshima, Kitami) Nice Pass (Hamamatsu) NicoPa (Himeji) NORUCA (Fukushima) OKICA (Okinawa) RapiCa (Kagoshima) Ryuto (Niigata) SAPICA (Sapporo) Tsukica (Takatsuki) Electronic money Edy nanaco taspo WAON Mobile payment Osaifu-Keitai Mobile Suica Mobile PASMO Mobile ICOCA Mobile TOICA

v t e Japan Railways Group Predecessors Ministry of Industry Cabinet Home Ministry Ministry of Communications Ministry of Railways Ministry of Transport and Communications [ja] Ministry of Transport Japanese National Railways Japan Railway Construction Public Corporation JNR Settlement Corporation Passenger Railway Companies JR Hokkaido JR East JR Central JR West JR Shikoku JR Kyushu JR Bus Companies JR Hokkaido Bus JR Bus Tohoku JR Kanto Bus JR Bustech [ja] JR Tokai Bus West JR Bus [ja] West Japan JR Bus Service West Japan JR Bus Service Company Hikari Guru Rin Bus JR Shikoku Bus [ja] JR Kyushu Bus IC cards Kitaca Suica TOICA EX-IC ICOCA ICOCA SUGOCA Shinkansen lines Hokkaido Tōhoku Jōetsu Hokuriku Tokaido Chūō (under construction) San'yō Hokuriku Shikoku (proposed) Kyushu Nishi Kyushu Railway museums Hokkaido Railway Technology Museum [ja] Railway Museum Ome Railway Park SCMaglev and Railway Park Kyoto Railway Museum Tsuyama Railroad Educational Museum Shikoku Railway Cultural Center [ja] Kyushu Railway History Museum Other organizations JR Freight Railway Technical Research Institute Railway Information Systems (JR Systems) Railway Telecommunication ↓ SoftBank Telecom Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency Related topics MARS (ticket reservation system) National Railway Workers' Union Japan Confederation of Railway Workers' Unions Japan Railway Trade Unions Confederation All Japan Construction, Transport and General Workers' Union Sankei Children's Book Award

v t e Transit in Hokkaido Shinkansen Hokkaido Shinkansen JR Hokkaido Chitose Furano Hakodate Hidaka Kaikyō Muroran Nemuro Rumoi (defunct) Sasshō (Gakuentoshi) Sekihoku Sekishō Senmō Sōya Sapporo Municipal Subway Namboku Line Tōzai Line Tōhō Line Other heavy rail lines Dōnan Isaribi Railway Trams and light rail Hakodate Streetcar Sapporo Streetcar Terminals Rail Hakodate Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Sapporo Ōdōri Shin-Sapporo Asahikawa Airports Asahikawa New Chitose Hakodate Kushiro Memanbetsu Monbetsu Nakashibetsu Okadama Okushiri Rishiri Tokachi–Obihiro Wakkanai Ports Hakodate Otaru Tomakomai Kushiro Public Ferries Heart Land Ferry Silver Ferry Tsugaru Kaikyō Ferry Seikan Ferry Shin Nihonkai Ferry MOL Ferry Taiheiyō Ferry Haboro-Enkai Ferry Miscellaneous Seikan Tunnel Taiheiyō Coal (defunct) Cards Kitaca SAPICA Rail transport in Japan Japan transit: Tokyo Keihanshin Chūkyō Fukuoka–Kitakyushu Hokkaido Aomori Sendai Akita Niigata Toyama Nagano Hakone–Fuji–Izu Okayama Hiroshima Shikoku Metro systems Shinkansen monorails (list) trams (list) aerial lifts (list)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kitaca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitaca) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitaca?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.