The SUICA penguin

One of the new ads for the SUICA IC cards, which can not only be used as rechargeable traintickets, but also as cashcards when shopping. They are accepted in most shops in or around train stations. The penguin is the SUICA mascot - originally featured only in comic-book style drawings, it has recently entered the real world in the adverts. Shops accepting the SUICA card for payment can be spotted by an inflatable penguin at the shop entrance.



The name SUICA is not so much a pun on the word for watermelon as explained on Wikipedia, but refers to the Japanese expression "sui sui" which means "to move quickly", referring to the fact that moving through the ticket barrier with SUICA takes less time than with regular tickets.