Key Takeaways
- Philip Morris Japan announced an early Japan launch of SENTIA’s first capsule product;
- Product name: “SENTIA Purple Capsule,” designed for the “IQOS ILUMA” series;
- Rollout: Starts at four IQOS Stores nationwide, expanding to tobacco retailers nationwide (including convenience stores) from April 6;
- Features: Blueberry capsule plus refreshing menthol; crushing the capsule delivers menthol with a blueberry aroma;
- Price: ¥530 (tax included) per pack of 20 sticks (approx. US$3.53); the price will be revised to ¥570 (tax included) from April 1 (approx. US$3.80).
2Firsts, March 3, 2026
According to Sponichi, Philip Morris Japan (PMJ) announced that it will introduce “SENTIA Purple Capsule,” the first capsule-equipped product in its SENTIA tobacco sticks dedicated to the heated tobacco “IQOS ILUMA” series, and launch it first in Japan.
The product will be introduced sequentially nationwide starting at four IQOS Stores (the Nagoya store will begin sales from the 7th due to relocation). At tobacco retailers nationwide, including convenience stores, sales will start on April 6.
The company positions the product as offering “a blueberry capsule and refreshing menthol.” It is a refreshing menthol type equipped with a capsule; when the capsule is crushed, users can enjoy refreshing menthol along with a blueberry aroma. The “Purple” in the product name comes from the color associated with blueberries.
With this launch, the SENTIA lineup will expand to 18 variants: five regular, one flavored regular, four menthol, seven flavored menthol, and one capsule menthol.
In terms of pricing, the pack of 20 sticks is priced at ¥530 (tax included; approx. US$3.53). The report also says the price will be changed to ¥570 (tax included; approx. US$3.80) from April 1.
Image Source: Sponichi
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