What is “Sumaeki”? On the other hand, most ticketless services on Japan’s railroads use transportation system IC cards, a logical choice since not only the JR Group but also many private railways have introduced such cards and the number of people who own them is increasing. However, this also depends on the location. JR Shikoku has introduced ICOCA in some areas of Kagawa Prefecture, the same as JR West, probably because of the traffic to and from Okayama via the Seto-ohashi Line. In other areas, the transportation system IC cards have not been introduced, and in fact, only a few stations even have automatic ticket gates. In November 2022, JR Shikoku released “Shikoku Smart Ekichan” (abbreviated as “Sumaeki”), a smartphone-operated ticketing application. Initially, only special tickets (so-called “otokunaki tickets”) could be purchased, but from April 2023, one-way tickets, commuter commuter passes, and unreserved-seat limited express tickets can also be purchased. Tickets that can be purchased can be found on the JR Shikoku website. The reason why Kojima Station on the Seto-ohashi Line, which is the border station between JR West and JR Shikoku, is excluded is probably because this station is under the jurisdiction of JR West.
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