JR East is retiring the iconic Suica penguin as part of a rebranding effort to transform its transit card system into a modern fintech platform, aiming to compete with QR code-based payment services like PayPay. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/11/16/japan/suica-icon-to-retire/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #suica #penguin #jreast #softbank #paypay

Penguin-less Suica will take on PayPay in payments with QR codes and balance limits increased to ¥300,000 from ¥20,000. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/11/12/companies/jr-east-suica-qr-code/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #cashless #jr #jreast #rail #suica