For anyone who has traveled to Japan, the Suica card is likely a familiar sight. This rechargeable smart card is essential for getting around, letting you tap for train rides, buy from vending machines, and pay at convenience stores—much like other major transit cards worldwide.
However, to mark the Suica card's 25th anniversary, its operator has announced the discontinuation of the long-running "Penguin" mascot card and revealed plans to select a new character to take its place. Today, JR East officially unveiled the three final candidates for the new mascot, a move that has instantly become a hot topic online.
The announcement sent "Penguin" (ペンギン) soaring to the top of Japan's trending topics on X.
JR East, the company behind the Suica card, has presented three distinctly different mascot candidates.
Design A's Concept:
We designed a squirrel character. A single line (RAILWAY) runs from its head to the tip of its tail, a design inspired by JR East's mission to connect Japan and link people's lives. The body is rendered with soft curves to create a sense of friendliness. We hope this character becomes a constant companion, like a friend by your side.
Selection Committee's Comments:
This character fully embodies the concept of "being close to daily life" and is both friendly and cute. Its expressive face suggests a distinct personality with the potential for rich storytelling. We believe it can become a character beloved by customers and group employees alike.
Design B's Concept:
We aimed for a character that transcends transportation to become a link between "people, cities, and the future." It leans forward, as if advancing toward the future.
The color scheme combines blue, representing "smooth passage and peace of mind," with red, symbolizing "excitement and emotion." In this ever-changing era, we hope this character will champion a "Let's try it!" spirit and accompany people of all generations through their lives.
Selection Committee's Comments:
This character is incredibly impactful and leaves a lasting impression at first glance. It's highly original, and its ears would likely look even cuter if they were animated to sway back and forth. It has a freshness that we haven't seen before, giving it great potential to be loved by future generations.
Design C's Concept:
As Suica continues to expand into new areas, I wanted to design an orange child who "puts things it finds in the ground into its pocket to show everyone all sorts of interesting things." I hope it conveys the feeling of "if you take this little one with you when you go out, it will always be by your side." I also focused on this orange child's gentle nature and the idea that it occasionally takes a small mole along to see different places.
Selection Committee's Comments:
It has a fluffy, soft cuteness while also giving off a reliable and dependable vibe. It possesses a unique charm that makes you want to cheer for it. We resonated with its gentle desire to "show everyone a world they've never seen before." This concept perfectly represents Suica's future goal of "becoming a partner that is close to its customers."
The selection committee is a star-studded panel, featuring figures from various fields including authors, models, character designers, illustrators, a character designer from Science SARU, and voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda.
Despite the reveal of these three candidates, many Japanese fans are still clamoring for the original penguin. Having been a familiar face for 25 years, the iconic black-and-white bird has a representative power that's hard to replace.
Even with many fans hoping for the penguin's return, JR East has already kicked off the selection process for the three new candidates. Public voting is open from September 8 to 23 via a dedicated voting website.
The winning character is scheduled to be announced in November, followed by a public contest to decide its name. The official handover is planned for March 2027.
For many in Japan, the Suica penguin is a deeply ingrained part of daily life, and the idea of a new character taking its place is still hard to swallow. Nevertheless, it sparks curiosity about which of these three candidates will ultimately be chosen to represent the future.
via： Suica新キャラクターデザイン投票