In Japan, when a Blu-ray, CD, or book comes out, stores often give away a tokuten (特典), a bonus item for buying it there. Each store often has its own bonus, so the same Blu-ray can come with a different extra depending on where you order it.
In short:
- Tokuten are bonuses that come with a release, such as an acrylic stand, a poster, or a storage box.
- Each store often gives a different one, so where you order decides which bonus you get.
- Bonuses are limited and mostly given out in Japan, but some Amazon.co.jp bonus editions ship internationally.
Table of Contents
What the words mean
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 特典 | tokuten | Bonus item that comes with a purchase |
| 店舗特典 | tenpo tokuten | Store bonus: given only by one store or chain |
| メーカー特典 | meekaa tokuten | Maker bonus: the same item at every participating store |
| 早期予約特典 | souki yoyaku tokuten | Early pre-order bonus: only for orders placed by a deadline |
| 初回特典 | shokai tokuten | First-press bonus: only for the first print run |
| 初回限定 | shokai gentei | First press only (first print run) |
| Amazon.co.jp限定特典 | — | Amazon.co.jp exclusive bonus |
Example: one Blu-ray, 16 different bonuses
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe goes on general sale on Blu-ray in Japan on January 27, 2027. Its official website lists a different bonus for each of 16 stores. They apply only to the limited-quantity edition and the special limited edition (not the regular edition, the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, or the DVD).
| Store | Store bonus |
|---|---|
| A-on STORE / Premium Bandai | Set of 20 reproduction animation drawings picked by the staff. Pre-orders by December 13, 2026 also get a reproduction of a message board signed by the cast and staff |
| Amazon.co.jp | Storage box with newly drawn art |
| Animate | Acrylic stand and a set of 3 foil-stamped clear cards |
| Joshin (DISC-PIER) | Acrylic stand with newly drawn art |
| Bic Camera / Sofmap | Storage box with mecha design art |
| Yamada Denki | A3 clear poster |
| Yodobashi Camera | Character art board (P3 size) |
| Rakuten Books | Acrylic stand and acrylic keychain |
| Akaikumasan | Jigsaw puzzle, 104 pieces (mecha art) |
| AmiAmi | Acrylic multi-stand (IMAX key art) |
| HMV | A4 clear poster (mecha art) |
| Shochiku Store | Acrylic keychain (IMAX key art) |
| Seven Net Shopping | Phone stand (mecha art) |
| Tower Records | B2 poster (mecha art) |
| TSUTAYA RECORDS | Set of 3 A4 matte posters |
| Neowing | A4 clear file (IMAX key art) |
On top of the store bonus, every participating store gives a maker bonus: a mini shikishi (a small art board, about 135 × 120 mm) with art by the character designer, while supplies last.
Tower Records and TSUTAYA RECORDS exclude some of their shops. Item names are our translations. Source: the film’s official Blu-ray bonus page (in Japanese), checked in November 2026.
How bonuses work
- Only some editions get one. In the example above, the regular edition, 4K, and DVD get no store bonus.
- The bonus edition is a separate product. On Amazon.co.jp, an edition with a bonus has its own product page. Check that the product name mentions the bonus (see the words below).
- Bonuses are limited. They end when the store runs out.
- Some have a deadline. Early pre-order bonuses go only to orders placed by a set date.
Why bonuses are hard to get outside Japan
- Many Japanese stores ship only within Japan.
- Some stores’ terms ban reselling, and a few say they may cancel orders sent to a forwarding address.
- Some stores do sell to other countries through their own international sites.
Bonus editions on Amazon.co.jp
Amazon.co.jp has its own exclusive bonuses, and some of these editions can ship outside Japan through AmazonGlobal. In October 2026, we found 30 Amazon.co.jp exclusive bonus items (photo books, manga, Blu-rays, and games) listed as eligible. We put 4 of them in the cart with a US address, and the order review page showed shipping and import fees.
Words to look for in the product name:
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Amazon.co.jp限定 | Amazon.co.jp exclusive |
| 特典付き / 特典付 | Comes with a bonus |
| メーカー特典 | Maker bonus |
| 〜付 / 〜付き | “Comes with ~” |
For example, the Gundam Hathaway Blu-ray above has an Amazon.co.jp edition with the storage box and the mini shikishi. For more words used in product names, see What Is Tokusouban?.
What we haven’t verified
We’re based in Japan, so we can’t test ordering from other countries ourselves. We haven’t verified:
- Whether the bonus is always included when Amazon.co.jp ships a bonus edition outside Japan (we haven’t seen reports that it wasn’t)
- Whether early pre-order bonuses apply to orders shipped internationally
- How fast store bonuses run out
