On the heels of my “main” Rollbahn spiral notebook post, I present you with this fun Suica’s Penguin edition. I don’t know if the cover is the same color as the red one from Rollbahn’s regular line-up but I really like this particular red. And the illustration of the newly renovated Tokyo Station! It’s a simple, clean design, and the cute little penguin doesn’t hurt either.
Other than the cover, all the details are the same as the regular edition. Or so I thought! There was a surprise waiting for me when I finally opened it:
I prefer my notebook pages to be void of any branding but eh, this was bought on a whim for the fun of it during a trip, so I’ll let it slide. ;)
What’s with the penguin? It’s the official mascot for Suica, a rechargeable smart card issued by Japan Railway (JR) East that you use for public transporation in many areas of Japan. The Suica card is very convenient for traveling in Tokyo, and you see this mascot quite often at train stations and at stores where they accept Suica as an electronic payment. And if you’re familiar with Japan, you know they’re huge on mascots and characters. And merchandise! There are stores dedicated to characters, and many everyday products, from cosmetics to stationery, get adorned with them and sold as special or limited editions. Delfonics Rollbahn notebooks seem to be no exception. But I think this is tastefully done. It’s not too loud and actually appropriate, considering the existing travel theme of “Rollbahn”.
I found this notebook by accident at Reading Style at KITTE Marunouchi, a new mall I highly recommend located right across from Tokyo Station. A fellow shopper was carrying two of these notebooks to the register, and I reconized them as Rollbahn right away and had to find them! Thankfully, she left one behind for me to grab. I’m quite attached to it since it reminds me many details of my trip: the fact that it was my first time going through Tokyo Station since the renovation was completed, with the brick façade and the dome, and the wonderful view of the station from KITTE’s rooftop garden made possible by a brief pause in the rain.
And I ♥ penguins.
Because I haven’t made a GIF in so long... But can you blame me? That JR hat!!