[category]
[title]
Meet your next Tokyo transit card companion: a squirrel, a rabbit or a mole. Since February, railway company JR East has been sourcing original designs from young creators to find a replacement for the beloved Suica penguin, who will be graduating from his official duties in March 2027.
And now they’ve narrowed the candidates down to three: Option A, an orange squirrel; Option B, a purple rabbit; and Option C, an orange mole. The new characters are still in the preliminary design stage, and a separate public contest to choose a nickname will be held once the winning character design has been decided in November. In the meantime, a poll to vote for the candidates is open on JR East’s official website until September 23.
The Suica penguin has served as the transit card’s official mascot since 2001 and has become widely beloved over the years, thanks to plenty of merchandise and memorable advertisements. So whoever wins the race to become the next face of Suica and JR East will have some big shoes to fill, and we’ll all no doubt need some time to get used to the newbie.
More from Time Out Tokyo
A Mexican pop-up restaurant has landed at Bees Bar by Narisawa
Here's the first official 2026 forecast for autumn leaves in Japan
Here’s everything you need to know about the Suica penguin’s impending graduation
Travel across Japan by train for three days with this autumn-only unlimited rides pass
Tamagotchi is now a ring you can wear on your finger
Want to be the first to know what’s cool in Tokyo? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan. Plus, check out our Time Out Japan coupons for exclusive discounts.