Kumamoto: Trams to Continue Accepting IC Cards after Strong Opposition from Riders

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:25 JST, December 20, 2025

KUMAMOTO — Nationwide transport IC cards will continue to be accepted on Kumamoto City trams after passengers expressed opposition to a move to ditch them.

The city had been considering ditching the cards by the end of March 2026 due to high equipment renewal costs — originally estimated at ¥200 million — but abandoned the idea because of the outcry.

Kumamoto Mayor Kazufumi Onishi announced that the current system would continue at a city council meeting.

The Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau had been considering switching to a new system that supported credit card touch payments.

Within Kumamoto Prefecture, five companies operating route buses and trains decided to do away with IC card payments last November and already switched to the new system.

However, after the bureau changed some equipment, the estimated cost went down to around ¥150 million. A survey also influenced the bureau’s decision. In summer, the city conducted a survey of tram riders, with 56.3% of respondents answering that it would be hard or very hard if the system changed.

“We made a comprehensive judgment based on improving rider convenience and optimizing costs,” Onishi said at the city council meeting where he announced continuing the current system.