Japan to choose a new character for Suica card to replace penguin
In Japan, railway company East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) has unveiled three candidates for the role of a new character for the Suica smart card system, which will replace the current penguin image. Voting for the new character began on September 9 and will continue until September 23.
As The Japan Times reports, passengers are invited to choose between a brown squirrel, a purple rabbit and an orange creature with a bag containing a mole. The selected character will represent Suica services from April 1, 2027.
Voting and a new name
JR East is holding the vote on a dedicated website. The company plans to announce the results on November 18. The new character's name will be determined based on suggestions collected from the public.
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The three candidates were selected from nearly 20 ideas proposed by young creators. The penguin character has been used in the Suica system since its launch in fiscal 2001.
Plans for Suica use
On the same day, JR East said it plans to enable Suica card fare payments at all stations within the company's service areas by the early 2030s. Currently, passengers can pay for trips with a topped-up card only within each of JR East's six areas, while it is technically impossible to pay for a route between different areas.
To achieve this, the company intends to introduce a new system covering all six areas. Suica cards are used to pay train fares and as electronic money.
