The Suica card gets a new mascot in 2027!
- Published on : 17/11/2025
- by : Phoebe
- Youtube
The transport prepaid card, a must-have for any trip to Japan!
©Nattaphat Saysuwan / 123RF
The Suica penguin retires. From 2027 onwards, the famous Japanese travel card will have a new look, with a new mascot. What can we expect from this change? Will cards featuring the penguin still be usable? Japan Experience explains all.
Early retirement
This is the news that shook the Japanese net last week: the penguin mascot will disappear from Suica cards in spring 2027. This decision follows JR's intention to enhance the card with new features from autumn 2026.
On the agenda? a Suica smartphone application integrating barcode and QR code payment, as well asa balance limit raised from 20,000 yen to 300,000 yen, enabling larger purchases to compete with other contactless payment services.
Penguin cards will continue to operate after the mascot change, although they will not benefit from the new functionalities.
For smart travel, combine the Suica card with our rail passes
The archipelago's most popular penguin
Created by illustrator Chiharu Sakazaki, the penguin first appeared on Suica cards in 2001. Initially used to illustrate the card's promotional posters at the time of its launch, the animal was so popular with the public that it became the official Suica mascot.
Today, over 110 million Suica cards, both physical and digital, are said to be in circulation in Japan. The penguin's popularity has not waned, as he has been the source of numerous derivative products: towels, kits, T-shirts, he's everywhere! The mascot even has a space named after him in Shinjuku the Suica Penguin Square (south exit of shinjuku Central Station), with a statue of him. And that's not all!
Suica statue (Shinjuku)
@oonnuuoo on Flickr, CC BY 2.0
For the moment, JR has given no further information on the mascot that will replace the penguin. Users will be asked to vote for his successor during 2026.
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