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 transit Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

Hiroshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Its name is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsRFID 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 electromag ...

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 ...

known as

FeliCa FeliCa is a contactless Radio-frequency identification, RFID smart cards, 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, ...

, but was the first to employ an 8 KB capacity instead of the standard 4, owing to the need for more capacity to interoperate with the Hiroshima bus system. Uniquely, while the PASPY system accepts numerous IC cards from across Japan, PASPY cards cannot be used on in other areas.

History

The system was conceived as an alternative to the magnetic fare system in place since 1994, which by 2008 was already beginning to show signs of wear; machines were needing to be replaced and customers preferred IC cards over magnetic fare cards. The PASPY card launched with eight issuing companies, each with their own uniquely colored card, on January 26, 2008. On March 1, the PASPY system also began accepting JR West's

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). It ...

card, but without allowing PASPY to be used at ICOCA terminals. This was seen as an expedient way to avoid having to obtain agreement from the entire ICOCA service area to have local campaigns and promotional discounts to entice Hiroshima residents to use the PASPY card, while still allowing for travelers from outside the area to use the more widely accepted ICOCA card and visit Hiroshima without having to purchase a PASPY.

Operators accepting PASPY

Those with a color in the "Card color" column issue the cards, while others just accept them. PASPYご利用エリア, from the PASPY official site. Note that the list shown here in this article is not exhaustive, and does not list every company that accepts PASPY.

History

Operators accepting PASPY

References

External links

Bibliography