PASPY


PASPY was a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transit in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Its name is a portmanteau of pass, happy, and speedy. Like other electronic fare collection systems in Japan, the card used an RFID technology developed by Sony known as FeliCa, but was the first card 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.
PASPY IC card service ended in March 2025 and was replaced with and ICOCA.

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, 2008, the PASPY system also began accepting JR West's ICOCA card. 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.
Subsequently on March 17, 2018, Nationwide Mutual Usage IC cards became accepted for usage the PASPY area.
The Kure City Transportation Bureau version of PASPY ceased to be sold on April 1, 2012. The Bihoku Kōtsū version ceased sales on September 30, 2014, while Geiyō Bus suspended sales the following day. Hiroshima Rapid Transit ceased sales of PASPY on May 31, 2024, and will stop accepting usage of the cards on the Astram Line on November 30, 2024. After this date, only six color varieties of new PASPY cards were sold.
PASPY service was fully discontinued on March 29, 2025. Refunds will remain available until March 31, 2027.

Operators accepting PASPY

Those with a color in the "Card color" column issue their own version of the cards, while others just accept them.
Card colorOperatorSales periodMode of transport
Light greenHiroshima Electric Railway Ended March 2025Railway, bus
YellowHiroshima Rapid Transit Ended May 2024Railway
Hiroshima Tourism Promoting Railway
PinkHiroshima BusEnded March 2025Bus
OrangeHiroshima Kōtsū Ended March 2025Bus
Dark blueGeiyō BusEnded October 2014Bus
BlueChūgoku JR BusEnded March 2025Bus
Light blueBihoku KōtsūEnded September 2014Bus
GreenTomotetsudou Ended March 2025Bus
PurpleKure City Transportation BureauEnded March 2012Bus
HD Nishi-Hiroshima Bus
Daiichi TaxiBus
Hirokō KankōBus
Dark GreenChūgoku BusEnded March 2025Bus
Setonaikai KisenShip
Miyajima Matsudai KisenShip