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JR East to Unveil Suica’s New Mascot around Nov. 2026

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The penguin mascot has been the beloved face of JR East’s Suica transit IC card for 25 years.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:38 JST, December 10, 2025

A new mascot character for the Suica transit IC card will be unveiled around Nov. 18 of next year, East Japan Railway Co. announced on Tuesday. The date marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Suica service.

The beloved penguin mascot, which has been the face of the card for 25 years, is scheduled to retire at the end of the next fiscal year and will be succeeded by the new character.

Details of the selection process will be announced in February. After the new character’s design is unveiled in November, a public contest will be held to choose its nickname. A “baton-passing ceremony” for the character changeover is planned for the end of the next fiscal year, and events and sales of commemorative merchandise are planned to generate excitement.