Suica Penguin Farewell 2026–27: Ueno Fan Event (30 Oct–4 Nov), Ekitag Stamp Rally, Last Goods and the 18 Nov New Mascot Reveal

The Suica Penguin farewell is now in full swing. JR East’s fan event runs at Ueno Station from 30 October to 4 November 2026 (11:00–19:30, last day until 18:00), and the new Suica mascot chosen by public vote is due to be revealed on 18 November 2026.

The penguin itself retires on 31 March 2027, after 25 years on the card. This guide covers every farewell event still to come, the Ekitag stamp rally, the Shinjuku illumination gate, where to buy the last penguin goods, what the Suica vote was, and what it all means for the card in your pocket.

What is the Suica Penguin farewell?

The penguin has been on Suica since the card launched in 2001. JR East is giving it a year-long send-off called Penguin Years, ending when the character “graduates” at the end of fiscal 2026, which is 31 March 2027.

Suica turns 25 in November 2026, and JR East wants a character for a card that is now a wider payment and everyday-life service, not just a train ticket. The new character takes over in Mobile Suica and other services after the handover.

Suica Penguin farewell calendar: every date for 2026–27

All dates are from JR East’s special event page and its 26 August 2026 press release, checked on 19 October 2026. “Planned” means JR East has not fixed the details yet.

Dates	What	Where
Until 21 Oct 2026	Suica Penguin Fair FINAL (16 shops, limited sweets)	Gransta Tokyo, inside Tokyo Station gates
1 Oct–25 Dec 2026	Ekitag digital stamp rally	Stations and station buildings, via app
23 Oct 2026, 23:59	Deadline: 3 stamps for the Meet & Greeting lottery	Ekitag app
30 Oct–4 Nov 2026	Fan event: exhibition, photo spot, goods	JR Ueno Station, Grand Concourse
31 Oct–3 Nov 2026	Meet & Greeting sessions (lottery only)	Ueno, photo spot corner
3 Nov–2 Dec 2026	Penguin-wrapped train (one set)	Yamanote Line
11 Nov 2026–14 Feb 2027	Hanamichi Gate at Shinjuku Minami Lumi	Suica Penguin Plaza, Shinjuku
18 Nov 2026	New mascot announced	Online, JR East
Late Nov–Dec 2026 (planned)	Penguin greeting tour	Shinkansen stations in the rally
30 Nov 2026	LINE riddle campaign and episode contest close	Online
Mar 2027	New nickname revealed, handover ceremony	To be announced
31 Mar 2027	Penguin’s last day as Suica character	—

Suica Penguin event at Ueno: what’s on, 30 October–4 November

This is the centrepiece of the Suica Penguin farewell. The “fan thank-you event” fills the Grand Concourse outside the JR Ueno Station Central Gate for six days, from Friday 30 October to Wednesday 4 November 2026.

• Hours: 11:00–19:30 daily, closing at 18:00 on 4 November
• What’s there: a history exhibition, fans’ episodes, a message corner, a photo spot, Meet & Greeting sessions and a goods corner
• Extras: on some days the penguin takes over the giant UENO CANVAS screen, and NewDays and “nomono” shops in the station stock more penguin goods
• Tickets: JR East lists no admission ticket. The concourse is outside the gates, so you don’t need a train ticket to walk in

How to get a Meet & Greeting slot

The penguin appears in person from 31 October to 3 November, in four 30-minute sessions a day at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 and 14:00. There are no same-day tickets: places are drawn by lottery, and you can only enter if you have collected three stamps in the Ekitag rally by 23 October, 23:59.

One entry covers a group of up to five people. Tickets can’t be moved to another day. Arrive 10 minutes early.

💡 Japan Pro Tip: 31 October is a Saturday, 1 November a Sunday and 3 November is Culture Day, a public holiday. If you only want the exhibition and the goods, go on Friday 30 October or Monday 2 November, as close to 11:00 as you can.

Ueno Park’s museums and the Ameyoko market are a few minutes’ walk away. Our Tokyo events in November 2026 guide has what else is on that week.

How does the Ekitag Suica Penguin stamp rally work?

The rally, titled “Looking back on our days with the Suica Penguin”, runs 1 October–25 December 2026. It’s free and works through Ekitag, JR East’s station stamp app.

• Download Ekitag (iPhone or Android) and search for “Suicaのペンギン” in the app
• Go to a stamp spot and tap your phone on the NFC sticker to collect the stamp
• Most spots are outside the gates; you need a ticket or Suica to travel between them
• Prize vouchers appear in the app’s Wallet, under My Page

Stamps	Prize
3	Entry to the Meet & Greeting lottery, plus an achievement stamp
5	Penguin Years original wallpaper
10	Original sticker (limited stock)
20	Original acrylic stand (limited stock)

Collect prizes at the TAKANAWA GATEWAY Travel Service Center at Takanawa Gateway Station (THE LINKPILLAR 1 SOUTH, 1F), 11:00–18:00. It’s one prize per person, first come, first served.

JR East’s Penguin Years page lists 30 stamp spots (its August release said 20) at Yamanote Line and Shinkansen stations and station buildings. The live list is in the app.

💡 Japan Pro Tip: The sticker and acrylic stand are limited and the rally has been running since 1 October. Ask at the Takanawa Gateway counter whether stock is left before you plan a 20-stamp day around it.

Shinjuku Minami Lumi: the Suica Penguin Hanamichi Gate

Shinjuku’s south-side winter illumination runs from 11 November 2026 to 14 February 2027, and this year it is themed around the penguin’s graduation. At Suica Penguin Plaza, beside JR Shinjuku Station’s Shin-Minami Gate, a “Hanamichi Gate” makes a flower-lined walkway, a graduation send-off you can walk through and photograph (Jorudan, 16 October 2026).

• Hours: 18:00–24:00 on 11 Nov; 17:00–24:00 from 12–30 Nov; 16:30–24:00 from 1 Dec to 14 Feb (some venues differ)
• Also: a penguin photo spot by the “SHINJUKU” letters, and a separate digital stamp rally (11 Nov–25 Dec): four stamps earn a Suica Penguin memo pad, first 500 people

It’s outdoors in public space. Pair it with our Tokyo illuminations 2026 list, or our guide to things to do in Shinjuku.

Where to buy the last goods before the Suica Penguin farewell

JR East’s 25-year goods archive is display only, but plenty of new farewell stock is on sale. Much of it is limited and ends when it sells out.

• PENSTA shops: ecute Ueno, LUMINE EST Shinjuku, ecute Omiya North and Premy Colomy / PENSTA CIAL Sakuragicho. Spend ¥3,000 or more with Suica and get an umbrella marker while stocks last (¥1,500 at the ecute Ueno café area gets a paper coaster)
• Ueno fan event: a goods corner on the concourse, 30 Oct–4 Nov, plus extra stock at NewDays in the station
• Gransta Tokyo: the Suica Penguin Fair FINAL ends on 21 October. Limited runs include penguin castella (800) and rice crackers (1,000), and ¥2,000 paid by Suica at one shop gets a penguin pen
• Station onigiri: the penguin sticker onigiri set at Honnoriya (21 shops) and Homareya, ¥1,480, or ¥1,280 paid by Suica, until sold out
• Online: the official goods list links to JR East’s JRE MALL, and the TRAINIART store on JRE MALL runs until 31 March 2027

The card itself is collectable too. JR East will sell penguin-design Suica cards until stock runs out, then switch to plain cards. The Apple Wallet Suica design is also going plain for now.

💡 Japan Pro Tip: If you’re flying home, penguin goods count as normal shopping. Spend ¥5,000 or more before tax at one tax-free shop in a day and you can claim the tax back. Our Japan tax refund guide explains the new rules from 1 November.

Suica vote: what it was, and when we get the result

The Suica mascot vote ran from 8 September (15:00) to 23 September 2026, 23:59 JST, on JR East’s official voting site. It was one vote per person, open to anyone, anywhere, and the candidate with the most votes becomes the new character.

Candidate	Design	The idea behind it
A	Orange squirrel with a black line from head to tail	The line is the railway, connecting places and lives
B	Purple rabbit with tall, upright ears	A character that listens; purple mixes blue (smooth travel) and red (excitement)
C	Orange creature carrying a mole in a pouch	Showing a mole the world above ground: going somewhere new

Demand was high: the site briefly showed a system error when voting opened (AdverTimes). Reaction in Japan has been mixed, with plenty of “give the penguin back” comments.

The vote site now says only “voting closed”, and no results or vote count have been published. The winner is due on 18 November 2026, the anniversary of Suica’s launch, according to Impress Watch and BCN.

What happens after 18 November

• From November 2026: a public call for the new character’s nickname
• January 2027: a selection committee reviews the names. Members include screenwriter Kundo Koyama and voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda
• March 2027: nickname announced and a handover (“baton touch”) ceremony

Does the Suica Penguin farewell affect your Suica card?

No. The mascot is branding, not technology. Existing Suica cards, balances, top-ups, refunds and Mobile Suica all keep working, and cards printed with the penguin stay valid after 31 March 2027.

Getting a Suica as a visitor

Welcome Suica, the visitor version, can be used for 28 days from the date of purchase. Welcome Suica Mobile is the app version for iPhone. A standard Suica has no 28-day limit, so it suits longer stays or repeat visits.

Our IC card guide for Japan compares Suica, PASMO and Welcome Suica, and how to top up. Landing at Haneda? The Haneda layover guide shows where the machines are.

Suica Penguin farewell FAQ

出典と確認方法

We checked every Suica Penguin farewell date, time and venue on 19 October 2026 against JR East’s Penguin Years site, its special event page と press release of 26 August 2026, the official vote site と Gransta Tokyo. The 18 November reveal date comes from JR East’s announcement as reported by Impress Watch, and the Shinjuku Minami Lumi details from the organisers’ release as reported by Jorudan. JR East may change event details, so check its page before you go.