Overview
- JR East announced the three candidate illustrations on Tuesday, September 8, and opened a special website for public voting that runs through September 23.
- The three originals include an A plan based on a squirrel, a B plan featuring a rabbit, and a C plan that is not tied to a specific animal but shows a small mole inside a shoulder pouch.
- JR East said it chose the three from about 20 proposals after more than 10,000 internal suggestions and review by a seven-member selection panel chaired by writer Kundo Koyama.
- The illustration that wins the public vote will be unveiled as Suica’s successor on November 18, its 25th anniversary, its name will be chosen by later public contest, and the current penguin will take part in a handover ceremony at the end of March 2027.
- Suica has more than 120 million issued cards including mobile accounts and the penguin has been a widely used brand icon, so the change could affect merchandise, rider sentiment, and JR East’s broader brand image as the selection and naming proceed.