JR East to Retire Iconic Suica Penguin After 25 Years of Service

japanese art, design and culture

Straphangers are mourning today after JR East announced that their beloved mascot, the Suica penguin, will retire after 25 years of serving as the iconic face of IC cards. The penguin was designed by picture book author and illustrator Chiharu Sakazaki and was modeled after the Adelie penguin, which lives in Antarctica.

The Suica penguin debuted in 2001 along with the launch of the prepaid electronic money service and has been a beloved icon for close to a quarter century. It got its name from the onomatopoeic phrase sui-sui, meaning to glide smoothly (through the turnstile). “I was happy to have been able to walk the path of the ‘Suica Penguin.’ I will do my best in my final year,” said Sakazaki in a comment.

JR East plans to run various campaigns aimed at penguin fans and others in the lead up to the penguin’s graduation at the end of fiscal year 2026. The baton will be passed to a new character who will be selected and revealed in the coming months.

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