Apple Holding Shopping Event in Japan on January 2-3, Offering Free Apple Store Gift Card With Select Products

In celebration of the New Year, Apple has announced that it will be holding a two-day shopping event in Japan on January 2-3, offering customers a free Apple Store gift card with the purchase of select products. This promotion is similar to Apple's four-day shopping event held between Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the United States.

apple japan shopping event 2021
In a tweet spotted by Mac Otakara, Apple says the gift cards will be worth up to ¥18,000, or roughly $175. (The promotion page has since gone live with a complete list of eligible products and gift card values.)

As expected, the promotion excludes many of Apple's newer products, including the iPhone 12 lineup, Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE, HomePod mini, and Macs with the M1 chip. Apple says gift cards will be available for products like the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR, iPad Pro and iPad mini, 16-inch MacBook Pro, Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD, full-size HomePod, AirPods and AirPods Pro, Beats, and Apple Watch Series 3.

Apple has also marked the Japanese New Year with a new ad highlighting how the App Store can help people get off to a good start in 2021.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

New iPhone 17 Pro Details: Brighter Display, Best Battery Life, and More

Wednesday September 3, 2025 5:33 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models will feature a number of significant display, thermal, and battery improvements, according to new late-stage rumors. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature displays with higher brightness, making it more suitable for use in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. The iPhone 16 Pro and...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week

Tuesday September 2, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Just one week before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series, an analyst has shared new price estimates for the devices. Here are J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee's price estimates for the iPhone 17 series in the United States, according to 9to5Mac: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 16 $799 iPhone 17 ...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

Survey: Nearly 70% of Users Plan to Upgrade to iPhone 17

Monday September 1, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
A new survey has found that nearly seven in ten iPhone owners in the United States plan to upgrade to an iPhone 17 model, signaling strong demand ahead of Apple's expected unveiling of the devices at its September 9 keynote. Smartphone price comparison platform SellCell surveyed over 2,000 U.S.-based iPhone users in August to assess upgrade interest and brand loyalty before Apple's event....

Top Rated Comments

sw1tcher Avatar
61 months ago
I miss Apple's fukubukuro day.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
japanime Avatar
61 months ago

The gift cards only offsets the ridiculous import tax we have to pay here.
You mentioned something similar to this in the story about Apple's new Japanese video advertisement, but I haven't been seeing any significant markups.

I've bought several iOS devices and a watch from the Apple online store over the past three months, and at most they cost only 1,000 yen (about $9.50) more than what they were priced at in the United States. I don't consider that to be "ridiculous." Rather, it's due to fluctuations in the exchange rate. In the past, I've been able to buy Apple products for less than what they cost in the States due to a favorable Japanese yen rate.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleTO Avatar
61 months ago
I sure hope they get better deals than we did. I wouldn’t call low value gift cards for older products much of a ‘shopping event’.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Naraxus Avatar
61 months ago

How is something free when you have to spend money ?
Simple. You're not buying the gift card, you're buying the Apple product and the gift card is thrown in as a bonus - hence the gift card is free
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LunarDog Avatar
61 months ago

Great move, Apple. In the middle of a pandemic. With Tokyo cases soaring. Let’s create giant queues for a gift card.
Brick-and-mortar store is only one of the options. You can order on the site, through the app or by phone (as in "voice call") and the promotion applies.

The fukubukuro system was brick-and-mortar only, so it's a good change due to pandemic.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)