Sweet Japanese Magazine: Latest Issues, Free Gifts and Where to Buy

Last updated: 15 September 2026

sweet is a Takarajimasha fashion monthly aimed at women around 28, and it swings between two very different kinds of gift – luxury cosmetics packaging one month, an oversized character tote the next. It also runs one of the odder recurring themes in Japanese publishing: a series of officially licensed characters with suntans.

This page tracks the current issue, explains how the two editions differ, and archives what came with recent issues. It is updated every month.

Latest issue at a glance

The November 2026 issue goes on sale on 9 October. The October issue, released on 11 September, is on shelves until then – its contents are in the archive below.

What’s in this month’s gift

Both editions are built around a design sweet describes as the Hawaii-exclusive suntanned Esther Bunny – the illustrated rabbit character rendered with a deep tan, wearing a bikini and dancing hula, in a design created specifically for the magazine.

© Esther Bunny

The standard edition carries a two-piece set. The tote bag measures roughly 36.5cm high by 31cm wide, on a pink base, with handles long enough to carry over outerwear – sweet positions it as both an everyday bag and an eco bag. Alongside it comes a three-part acrylic keyring: the Esther Bunny figure at 6 × 2.8cm, a pair of sunglasses at 3 × 1.2cm and a logo charm at 7.5 × 1cm, linked together.

© Esther Bunny

The supplementary edition swaps these for a phone grip and a set of puffy stickers in the same design.

Each edition also carries a pin-up, and the subject differs: the standard edition includes an A3 double-sided pin-up of Yamanaka Yutaro of M!LK, who also fronts the cover, while the supplementary edition carries a photocard-style pin-up of the artist Ano.

Standard vs supplementary edition

sweet publishes two versions of most issues on the same day. The editorial content is broadly the same – Takarajimasha notes that supplementary editions omit a few pages. What changes is the cover, the gift and the pin-up.

Each version is a separate product with its own barcode, sold side by side in Japanese bookshops. You choose the one you want, and there is nothing random about it.

One warning specific to this title. Where InRed and Otona no Oshare Techo consistently give the standard edition the larger item, sweet does not follow that rule. In September 2026 the supplementary edition carried a big PVC tote while the standard edition carried a tin of stationery. In November 2026 the positions are reversed. The supplementary edition is also frequently the more expensive of the two. Compare the actual gift lists for each issue rather than assuming.

The suntanned character series

sweet runs a recurring theme that has no equivalent elsewhere: officially licensed characters redesigned with deep tans, styled after 2000s Japanese gyaru fashion.

The August and September 2026 issues carried a suntanned Hello Kitty wearing hibiscus earrings, set against leopard print and rhinestones. The magazine has also produced a suntanned Pochacco and, in an inversion of the idea, a “snow-tanned” Hello Kitty for a winter issue. November 2026’s Esther Bunny continues the run.

These are licensed designs, not fan art – Sanrio approves each one, and the approval numbers appear on the packaging. For overseas collectors this matters because the designs exist only as sweet furoku and are not produced in any other form.

What kind of magazine is sweet?

sweet is published monthly by Takarajimasha, the publisher that effectively invented the modern brand-collaboration furoku. Its editorial target is women around 28, covering fashion, beauty, culture and entertainment, with regular photo features and interviews with actors, models and idols.

Its gift strategy is the broadest of any Takarajimasha title. Within a single quarter it has covered Anna Sui Cosmetics vanity cases, Hello Kitty stationery and totes, and Esther Bunny accessories – cosmetics packaging and character goods sitting side by side rather than one dominating. It has also carried Jill by Jill Stuart umbrellas and other fashion-brand collaborations.

Release day falls around the 9th to 11th of most months. Cover prices sit between roughly ¥1,690 and ¥1,890, with the supplementary edition often priced above the standard one.

Where to buy sweet outside Japan

sweet is published for the domestic market and has no overseas distribution. The digital edition carries the articles only – Takarajimasha states this explicitly – since a physical bag cannot be attached to an e-book. The electronic version also omits some pages and photographs.

Popular gifts sell out within days, and this title’s character collaborations move particularly fast; sweet’s own site has urged readers to buy before stock ran out on several recent issues. For a comparison of the buying routes available, see our guide to where to buy Japanese magazines with gifts online.

sweet free gift archive

Two things stand out. sweet alternates between cosmetics packaging and character goods more freely than any other Takarajimasha title. And the gifts are genuinely engineered rather than decorative – September’s tote folds into its own face charm, October’s vanity has an internal frame to hold its shape, and the grooming set is a full seven-piece kit.

Frequently asked questions

Which edition should I buy?
Compare the gift lists rather than assuming the standard edition is larger. sweet does not follow a consistent rule, and the supplementary edition is often both bigger and more expensive.

What is the pin-up included with each issue?
Most issues bundle a poster of an idol or actor, and the subject differs between editions. For furoku buyers it is incidental, but it does affect how fast an edition sells out.

Are the suntanned character designs official?
Yes. Sanrio licenses each one and the approval number appears on the packaging. They are sweet-exclusive designs that exist in no other form.

Can I buy the gift without the magazine?
No. Japanese publishing guidelines require that a furoku is not an item normally sold separately from its magazine.

When does the next issue come out?
Release day falls around the 9th to 11th of most months. The next issue is listed at the bottom of this page.

Can I still get a sold-out issue?
Only if a copy is still listed somewhere in Japan, usually on a marketplace. Once nothing is listed anywhere, no route can produce one.

Next issue

The December 2026 issue is expected in the second week of November. Gift details are usually announced about a month ahead of the on-sale date – we’ll update this page as soon as they land.