OKICAオキカ
Written and edited by: JapanLiveNow
A card for Yui Rail and selected buses on Okinawa’s main island. You can buy it at Yui Rail stations, but card returns and refunds are handled at designated offices rather than stations.
Refund fees vary by operator and apply even with a zero balance. You cannot return the card at the airport’s Yui Rail station just before flying home; visit a refund office in advance.
Official information checked · Standard adult cards
Sources: Okinawa IC Card ↗
Where can you buy it, and how much does it cost?
- Issuer
- Okinawa IC Card
- Deposit
- 500 JPY
- Initial purchase amount
- Designated amounts from ¥1,000 to ¥10,000, including a ¥500 deposit
Buy from Yui Rail station machines or counters, or from bus company counters selling OKICA. Selected FamilyMart stores also sell unregistered cards.
The ¥500 deposit is paid when you first buy the card. You cannot spend it on transport or shopping, and you do not pay it again when topping up.
Official purchase and usage guide ↗ · Checked 2026-10-17
How do you add money?
Top up at Yui Rail ticket machines, OKICA top-up machines, or participating buses and merchants. Available amounts and accepted banknotes vary by machine and bus operator.
- Select 「チャージ」 (top up), then insert your card or place it on the marked reader.
- Choose an amount and insert cash as instructed on screen.
- Check the balance on the completion screen, then collect your card and change.
At a convenience store or counter, tell the staff how much to add. The card insertion order and available amounts vary by machine.
Official top-up and usage guide ↗Checked 2026-10-17
Which areas accept it?
Use it on Yui Rail and participating buses and taxis on Okinawa’s main island. It is not a nationwide interoperable card and cannot be used in Tokyo or Osaka.
On trains and buses
Tap the same card when entering and leaving train gates. With a mobile card, use the same device to exit. Buses may require a tap on boarding, on getting off, or both; follow the signs at the door and on board.
Each train passenger needs a separate card. Buy a ticket for the whole journey before travelling across separate IC service areas or to a station that does not accept the card.
At convenience stores, hotels and shops
Use it in participating taxis or shops displaying the OKICA mark. It is not accepted across the nationwide network of Suica and ICOCA merchants.
Say the card name at checkout, then tap when the amount appears on the reader. If your balance is too low, ask whether the shop allows split payment with cash or another card.
Official coverage and exceptions ↗ · Checked 2026-10-17
Where can you get a refund, and what is the fee?
Return it to an office handling OKICA. Yui Rail stations do not cancel cards or issue refunds. If a commuter pass is stored on it, first have the issuing company refund and remove the pass.
You can keep the card for another trip. To return it now, check the refund counter’s opening hours and bring your card and any required identification.
OKICA Official refund locations and conditions ↗ · Checked 2026-10-17
Can you use it without a physical card?
This card cannot be added to Apple Wallet. To travel without a physical card, add Suica, PASMO or ICOCA in Wallet instead. Tap your device on routes accepting that mobile card.
Apple Wallet setup and top-up steps →Sources: Apple Support · Checked 2026-10-17