Apple is starting 2025 in Japan with a familiar but highly sought-after retail move. As part of its annual New Year Sale, the company is offering a free limited-edition AirTag with qualifying iPhone purchases, alongside Apple Gift Cards worth up to ¥38,000.
The promotion blends Apple’s usual hardware incentives with a cultural twist that makes this year’s offer particularly collectible.
A Limited-Edition AirTag with Cultural Significance
The free AirTag features a special engraving of a Daruma, a traditional Japanese talisman that symbolizes perseverance, good luck, and achieving personal goals. Daruma dolls are commonly associated with New Year traditions in Japan, making the engraving a meaningful addition rather than a purely decorative one.
Apple says the limited-edition AirTag will be capped at 65,000 units in total. Distribution will be first come, first served, which means availability may vary depending on location and demand.
As with standard AirTags, the device itself remains functionally identical. The differentiation is purely in the engraving, which is laser-etched and exclusive to this promotion.
Part of Apple’s Annual Japan New Year Sale
The AirTag giveaway is part of Apple’s broader New Year Sale in Japan, which runs from January 2 through January 5. Unlike Apple’s holiday promotions in the United States and Europe, Japan’s major retail push happens after the New Year, and Apple has leaned into this tradition for several years.
In addition to the free AirTag, customers can receive Apple Gift Cards depending on the product purchased:
- Up to ¥12,000 with eligible iPhone purchases
- Up to ¥38,000 with Mac purchases
- Up to ¥15,000 with iPad purchases
- Up to ¥8,000 with Apple Watch purchases
- Up to ¥12,000 with AirPods purchases
The promotion is available through Apple retail stores across Japan and the Apple Online Store.
Related: Leaked AirTag 2 Features Hint at Big Tracking Upgrades
Why Apple Keeps Doing Japan-Only Exclusives
Apple’s Japan-only promotions often go beyond simple discounts. Over the years, the company has released exclusive gift cards, special packaging, and limited-edition accessories that never appear in other regions.
This strategy serves two purposes. First, it aligns Apple more closely with local shopping customs. Second, it creates scarcity, which fuels demand both during the sale and later in secondary markets.
Limited-edition AirTags, especially ones tied to cultural events, tend to hold collector interest well beyond the promotional window. Even users who already own AirTags may be tempted to upgrade or add another purely for the engraving.
AirTag Availability Remains Tightly Controlled
One notable detail is that Apple has limited the number of special AirTags rather than making them available throughout the sale period. Once the 65,000 units are gone, the promotion effectively ends for late buyers, even if the New Year Sale itself continues.
This approach mirrors Apple’s handling of other limited items in Japan and reinforces the urgency around early purchases.
Customers purchasing online may also face regional allocation limits, meaning some Apple Stores could run out faster than others.
A Subtle Way to Push iPhone Upgrades
While the headline feature is the free AirTag, the promotion still serves Apple’s broader goal of driving hardware upgrades early in the year. Pairing a physical collectible with gift cards creates a stronger incentive than discounts alone, especially for customers already considering a new iPhone.
For Apple, it is a low-risk way to add perceived value without cutting prices directly.
A Reminder of How Regional Apple Can be
Apple often presents itself as a globally consistent brand, but promotions like this highlight how region-specific its retail strategy can be. Japan continues to receive some of Apple’s most creative and culturally tailored offers, many of which never make it to other markets.
For collectors and Apple fans outside Japan, the Daruma AirTag will likely become one of those quietly iconic items that only a limited audience ever had access to.
