Anyone who has visited Japan over the last 25 years has likely used the very helpful and convenient Suica transit card. Like most things in contemporary Japan, the Suica comes with a cute mascot. The epitome of kawaii culture, JR East’s cuddly penguin is beloved by commuters and tourists alike. Sadly, the train company JR East announced that their beloved mascot, the Suica penguin, will retire after 25 years of serving as the iconic face of IC  travel 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 popular cultural icon for close to a quarter century. It got its name from the onomatopoeic phrase sui-sui, meaning to glide smoothly through the train or metro station turnstile.

JR East will be launching public campaigns aimed at penguin fans and others in the lead up to the penguin’s retirement at the end of fiscal year 2026. A new character who will be selected from train travelers’ suggestions and revealed in the coming months.