ICOCA

ICOCA is an IC (Integrated Circuit) Card used on the JR West rail network in Japan. It stands for "Integrated Circuit Operating Card." It can be used as a riding ticket or digital cash. For example, you can use it to get on a train or, to buy a drink at a convenience store, or bread from a bakery.

A visual showing how to use the ICOCA card to get onto trains.

How To Purchase

A charge machine for ICOCA.

KIPS ICOCA（This card is one kind of ICOCA, sold by Kintetsu.）

The Green Windows (midori-no-madoguchi) of JR stations sell ICOCA cards. The price of the card is 500 yen (about $5 USD), but at first you must pay 2,000 yen (about $20 USD), and you immediately get 1,500 yen (about $15 USD) of cash on the card. The limit you can have on the card is 20,000 yen (about $200 USD).

Origin of Name

The name of the card is a play on the phrase, "Ikoka" (行こか), which means, "Let's go," in the western Japanese dialect.