A beloved Tokyo penguin’s end presages Suica’s shift to payments giant

Japan is a country where everything has a recognizable mascot, from tourist sites to the Tokyo police force.

But one of the most beloved is soon to be no more. East Japan Railway, better known as JR East, announced Tuesday that it’s retiring the iconic penguin that has long adorned Suica, the contactless payment platform for trains in the capital and beyond.

Since Suica’s introduction in 2001, the penguin (simply known as “the Suica penguin”) has featured on transit cards and apps that are used daily by the tens of millions who traverse the world’s largest metropolis and the east of the country. The company officially says the character is “graduating.” On social media, it was treated like the death of a beloved celebrity.