Convenience is certainly in the cards for Japan's university students, both native and foreign. On June 1, 2006, DC Card launched, for the first time in Japan, an international student ID card that is also a VISA credit card.
  The new "International Student DC Card" was jointly produced with STA Travel, a member of the Amsterdam based International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC). ISTC issues the popular International Student Identity Card (ISIC), which is used every year by some 4.5 million students in 106 countries for identification purposes and for student discounts while traveling and studying in foreign countries. It is also the only student ID card formally recognized by UNESCO.
  The International Student DC Card gives the user six important benefits: 1) student discounts all over the world, 2) photo ID, 3) access to a customer service helpline from anywhere in the world, 4) a wide range of benefits within Japan, 5) a credit card function, and 6) worldwide travel insurance.

The new student ID adds a convenient VISA card function to its range of benefits