August 27, 2026, 7:30 a.m. (JST)
[Japan] JR East (Tokyo, Japan) has announced that the “Suica Penguin,” which has served as the Suica mascot since 2001, will step down from its role at the end of fiscal year 2026 and pass the baton to a new mascot.
The JR East Group has designated fiscal year 2026 as “Penguin Years” and is launching a special website and original merchandise to mark the occasion. To commemorate Suica’s 25th anniversary in November 2026, the company will hold various campaigns, including a digital stamp rally and an event at Ueno Station.The campaign is said to allow participants to retrace the “Suica Penguin’s” footsteps.
Please note that sales of the current Suica cards featuring the “Suica Penguin” will end once stock runs out at each sales location; plain Suica cards will be sold thereafter.
The “LINE × Ticket Gate Tap Mystery-Solving Campaign” will run from September 1 to November 30, 2026. Users must add the LINE account “Commuter Shopping 0103” as a friend, solve the mystery presented on the entry confirmation screen, and then exit through the ticket gate at a designated station using their Suica card.After exiting, enter the keyword sent to you and the name of the station you exited via LINE to receive the puzzle for the next station and a coupon valid for shopping at JRE MALL. Those who meet the conditions will receive “Original Suica Penguin AR Content” as a gift.
Additionally, from September 14 to November 30, the campaign will accept submissions of personal stories under the theme “Suica, the Suica Penguin, and Me.” Submitted stories are scheduled to be featured at events and other venues.Furthermore, some entries will be selected as winning entries, and winners will receive a color paper card autographed by the original author, Chiharu Sakazaki.
Furthermore, starting September 24, customers who make purchases totaling a certain amount or more using transit e-money at participating “Pensta” stores will receive an original “Penguin Years” promotional item.
From October 1 to December 25, customers who register on the JRE POINT website and make cumulative purchases totaling 3,000 yen (tax included) or more using Suica at participating stores will be entered into a drawing to win limited-edition Suica Penguin merchandise or JRE POINTS worth up to 39,000 yen.
The “Suica Penguin Digital Stamp Rally” will be held from October 1 to December 25, 2026, at a total of 20 locations, including Yamanote Line stations, Shinkansen stations, and station buildings.Users can earn digital stamps by downloading the “Ekitag” app, registering via the stamp book, and scanning the tags installed at each location. Additionally, they can redeem the stamps they’ve collected for original prizes.
At the “Fan Appreciation Event at Ueno Station,” taking place from October 30 to November 4, 2026, there will be exhibition panels looking back on the history of the “Suica Penguin,” as well as booths where visitors can write messages to the penguin, photo spots, merchandise sales, and meet-and-greets.Furthermore, for part of the event period, the adjacent large-scale digital display “UENO CANVAS” will be taken over, and stores within JR Ueno Station—such as NewDays and Monono—will expand their selection of “Suica Penguin” merchandise.
Furthermore, a special “Suica Penguin”-themed train is scheduled to run in November 2026. The “Suica Penguin” will “take over” the Yamanote Line, allowing passengers to enjoy a train interior entirely themed around the penguin—featuring a retrospective of past designs—for a limited time.Furthermore, a “Suica Penguin Comes to Meet You! Special Greeting” event is scheduled for late November through December. The Suica Penguin will visit people at Shinkansen stations where the “Suica Penguin Digital Stamp Rally” is being held. (paymentnavi Editorial Team)
