📑 Table of Contents
1Campaign Overview
Apple Japan’s annual “Hatsuuri” (New Year Sale) is the best opportunity to purchase Apple products at a discount. The official 2026 sale details have been announced – here are the key points.
📅 Sale Period
January 2 (Fri) 00:00 – January 5 (Mon) 23:59, 2026
4-day event. Online store starts at midnight, retail stores follow their regular hours.
✅ How to Participate
• Apple Online Store: Recommended! Get the limited AirTag starting at midnight
🍎 Visit Apple Japan Store
• Apple Store Retail: All Apple retail locations in Japan
• Apple Store App: Purchase from your smartphone
⚠️ Important Note
There is no Lucky Bag (fukubukuro) this year. The sale only includes Gift Card rewards and limited AirTag gifts.
2Eligible Products & Rewards
Purchase the following eligible products to receive Apple Gift Card rewards. Gift Cards can be used for future Apple purchases, App Store, Apple Music subscriptions, and more.
📱 iPhone
💻 Mac
📱 iPad
⌚ Apple Watch
🎧 AirPods & Beats
🔌 Other Products
💡 Note
iPhone 17 series is expected to be excluded as the latest model. For the newest devices, consider carrier campaigns (docomo, au, SoftBank).
3Limited Daruma AirTag Strategy
2026 Limited Edition | Daruma Design AirTag
Purchase an eligible iPhone (iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, or iPhone 16e) to receive a limited edition Daruma-design AirTag!
⚡ First 65,000 customers only🔥 Tips for Getting One
Past Experience: Limited AirTags have sold out within hours!
Recommended Strategy:
• Order online at midnight on January 2
• Pre-save your Apple ID, shipping address, and payment info
• Apple Store App may be faster in some cases
• Retail store lines are an option but quantities are limited
4Get 4.5% via Rakuten Rebates
By shopping through Rakuten Rebates, you can earn up to 4.5% in Rakuten Points on top of the Apple Gift Card rewards! These bonuses stack completely.
💰 Reward Breakdown
Base Reward: 3% (special rate during sale)
Pre-Entry Bonus: +1.5%
Total: 4.5% Rakuten Points
Register for Rakuten Rebates
If you don’t have an account, click below to sign up. First purchase of ¥3,000+ earns 500 bonus points!
🎁 Sign Up for Rakuten Rebates (+500P)Complete Pre-Entry
Visit the campaign page and complete your entry to unlock the +1.5% bonus!
⏰ Deadline: January 1, 2026 23:59✅ Pre-Entry Page
Shop via Rebates to Apple Store
After midnight on Jan 2, click “Go to Store” on Rebates to navigate to Apple’s website for purchase
Complete Purchase & Wait for Points
Points will be credited around March 15, 2026 (limited-time points, valid for 180 days)
📌 Important Notes
• You must navigate to Apple through Rebates (direct visits don’t qualify)
• Don’t close your browser or navigate away during checkout
• Apple Gift Card payments also qualify for Rakuten Points
• New users get an extra 500 points via referral link for first purchase
5Convenience Store 10% Cashback
Charge your Apple Account at convenience stores to receive 10% back in Apple Gift Cards. The charged balance can be used directly for your New Year Sale purchase!
⚠️ Important Notice
The 10% cashback Gift Card codes will be sent on February 3 – they won’t be available for the New Year Sale.
However! The charged balance (up to ¥100,000) can be used immediately during the sale. Think of the 10% as a bonus you’ll receive later.
💡 Double Points Technique
“Credit Card → E-money → Apple Account Charge” = Double points!
Example: Charge nanaco with credit card (0.5%-1%) → Charge Apple Account with nanaco (10% cashback) = ~11% total
📅 Campaign Period
Charge Period: Dec 22, 2025 0:00 – Jan 4, 2026 23:59
Registration Deadline: Jan 6, 2026 23:59
Reward Delivery: Around Feb 3, 2026 (via LINE)
🔄 Recommended Routes
7-Eleven Route: Credit Card → nanaco → Apple Account
FamilyMart Route: JCB Card → FamiPay → Apple Account
MINISTOP Route: Credit Card → WAON → Apple Account
※ Some credit cards don’t earn points on e-money charges – check first
Prepare iPhone Wallet
Open Wallet App → Tap Apple Account → Requires iOS 17 or later
Charge at Convenience Store Register
Tell the clerk “Apple Account ni charge onegaishimasu” and show your Wallet barcode
7-Eleven: Cash or nanaco
FamilyMart: Cash or FamiPay
MINISTOP: Cash or WAON
LAWSON: Cash only
Save Receipt & Register for Campaign
Keep your receipt, visit each store’s campaign page, upload receipt photo and link your LINE account
⏰ Registration Deadline: Jan 6 23:59Use Balance During New Year Sale
Your charged balance can be used directly for Jan 2-5 purchases!
Receive 10% Cashback in February
Around Feb 3, receive Apple Gift Card codes via LINE (for future Apple purchases)
⚠️ Important Requirements
• Minimum ¥5,000 total charge required to participate
• One iPhone/Apple Account per person (multiple accounts not allowed)
• Apple Account balance limit is ¥300,000
• Buying Apple Gift Cards (POSA) doesn’t count – must be direct Apple Account charge!
• Each store’s campaign is independent – theoretically up to ¥40,000 cashback possible
6Complete Purchase Timeline
① Register for Rakuten Rebates and complete pre-entry
② Charge Apple Account at convenience stores (¥100,000 recommended – usable for sale)
③ Confirm Apple ID, shipping address, and payment method
Verify Rakuten Rebates pre-entry is complete (can’t register after deadline)
① Open Rakuten Rebates and navigate to Apple Store
② Add desired products to cart
③ Pay with Apple Account balance + credit card
④ Order iPhone immediately if you want the limited AirTag!
If not rushing for AirTag, take your time – sale runs 4 days
Upload charge receipts and complete LINE connection
Apple Gift Card codes arrive via LINE
Rakuten Rebates points credited (limited-time points, 180-day validity)
7Savings Calculation Examples
Here are actual savings calculations for popular products, showing the amazing effect of stacking all rewards:
📱 iPhone 16 (128GB) Example
💻 MacBook Air 13″ M4 (256GB) Example
🎧 AirPods Pro 3 Example
📌 Reward Timing
• Apple New Year Gift Card: Received immediately at purchase, usable for future purchases
• Rakuten Rebates Points: Around March 15, 2026
• Convenience Store 10%: Around February 3, 2026
※ The charged balance from convenience stores can be used during the sale – the 10% is a bonus received later
🎉 Savings Summary
By stacking “Apple Gift Card” + “Convenience Store 10%” + “Rakuten Rebates 4.5%”,
you can achieve approximately 20%-30% total savings! This is the best time of year to buy Apple products!
8FAQ & Important Notes
⚠️ Read Before Purchasing
- Gift Card rewards require purchasing eligible products during the sale period
- Returns require returning the Gift Card and AirTag (if applicable)
- Some payment methods may not be eligible – credit card or Apple Account balance recommended
- Paidy installments are eligible
- Convenience store charged balance can be used for the sale; 10% cashback arrives in February
- Rakuten Rebates points are limited-time points with 180-day validity after credit
- New Rakuten Rebates users have ¥100,000 first purchase limit (removed after 45 days)
🎊 2026 Apple New Year Sale Summary
Up to ¥38,000 Apple Gift Card
+ First 65,000 Limited Daruma AirTag
+ 4.5% Rakuten Points (via Rakuten Rebates)
+ 10% Convenience Store Cashback
= Total ~20-30% in rewards!
※ Information based on official announcements as of December 2025. Check Apple’s official site for updates.
※ Last updated: December 2025