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How many categories does the Japanese TEREA list use?
Four. IQOS Japan's official page separates Regular, which has no menthol, Menthol at different cooling levels, Flavour Menthol, where fruit notes join the cooling, and Capsule Menthol, where a capsule is squeezed before use. Together these hold more than twenty names, and the Regular category alone accounts for at least seven of them.
No other market we examined splits tobacco-only sticks so finely.
The seven non-menthol names and their notes are listed on our TEREA Regular page, so this overview does not repeat them.
The four-way split also makes Japan a useful reference point when comparing how other markets group the same kinds of stick.
When did ILUMA and ILUMA i first appear in Japan?
According to PMI's official press release, the first ILUMA devices launched in Japan in August 2021, before reaching other markets. The second generation, ILUMA i, was also introduced in Japan first, in March 2024. As a result, Japan was the starting point for both device families that work with TEREA sticks.
Because launches begin there, new product information often appears in Japanese before any other language.
Features of the second generation, such as the touch screen, are covered on our ILUMA i page rather than here.
Earlier IQOS generations that used a heating blade are not part of this timeline, since they work with a different kind of stick.
What script appears on a Japanese TEREA pack?
Japanese packs are printed mainly in kanji and katakana. South-East Asian markets such as Malaysia and Indonesia usually print English next to the national language. Warnings and nicotine information on Japanese packs are also in Japanese. Readers who do not know the script will find the variant name harder to read than on packs from elsewhere.
This labelling style makes a Japanese pack easy to spot even when the flavour itself is unfamiliar.
The bilingual approach used in one neighbouring region is described on our page about TEREA in Malaysia.
Travellers who meet a Japanese pack for the first time usually recognise it by the script before they recognise the flavour.
How does Japanese naming differ from South Korea's?
Japan uses a finely divided Regular category named by secondary notes, such as Smooth Regular or Rich Regular. South Korea names its tobacco-only sticks with international words such as Amber and Silver. Although both countries are in East Asia, each developed its naming separately, so a name familiar in one market often cannot be found in the other.
Some capsule names do overlap between the two, which adds to the confusion.
The Korean groups and names are laid out on our TEREA Korea page, including how reliable its sources are.
Comparing the two lists name by name rarely works, so it is better to compare them group by group instead.
Which ILUMA models belong to the Japanese range?
As the launch market, Japan has every model of both families: ILUMA, ILUMA PRIME and ILUMA ONE, plus ILUMA i, ILUMA i PRIME and ILUMA i ONE. All of them use the same induction system and accept TEREA sticks only. Each model has been part of the Japanese range since its family first launched there.
Differences between the models, such as one-piece and two-piece designs, are explained in the devices section.
The one-piece option is described in more detail on our ILUMA ONE page.
Every one of these six models relies on induction, so any TEREA name from the Japanese list fits any of them.
Why is Japanese product data easier to confirm than other markets?
IQOS Japan publishes every category with its names and secondary notes in one structured official page. For South Korea we rely on business media reports of company statements, and for Malaysia on neighbouring regional pages. That is why our Japan page can give firmer counts, while the other country pages use more cautious wording.
We state the level of confirmation on each country page instead of presenting all sources as equal.
How we approach Malaysian information is explained on our Malaysia line-up page, where no full official list could be reached.
Wherever a figure on a country page depends on a weaker source, we say so rather than presenting it as settled.
Does Japan list a clove line like Indonesia?
Not in the four categories we could confirm on the official page. Clove editions appear clearly only in the line-up published by IQOS Indonesia, where they reflect the local kretek tradition of tobacco mixed with clove. Clove is not a typical ingredient in Japanese tobacco, and no Japanese category is built around it.
Japan's variety comes from tobacco notes and cooling levels instead.
The Indonesian clove editions and the rest of that market's groups are described on our TEREA Indonesia page.
The absence of clove is a good example of how local tobacco traditions shape what each market decides to list.
Does Japanese legality carry over to Thailand?
No. TEREA and ILUMA being legal and widely listed in Japan has no effect on Thai law. Official advice states that heated tobacco sticks and devices are not allowed in Thailand, including those brought in by travellers. We describe the Japanese line-up for information only and offer no route for anyone to obtain these products.
Visitors arriving from Japan should read our travel guidance for Thailand first.
The detailed legal summary is on the TEREA in Thailand page, alongside the device rules.
Being first to launch ILUMA gives Japan no special standing under Thai law; the rules there are set independently.
| Category | Menthol | Extra mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | No | None, one steady flavour |
| Menthol | Yes | None, steady cooling |
| Flavour Menthol | Yes | None, fruit notes with cooling |
| Capsule Menthol | Yes | Capsule in the filter to squeeze for an extra aroma |
Frequently asked questions
Can Japanese TEREA be used in IQOS ORIGINALS devices?
When did ILUMA launch in Japan?
How many names are in Japan's Regular category?
What does Capsule Menthol mean in Japan?
Where is the latest Japanese line-up published?
Are Japanese TEREA names printed in English?
Sources
- IQOS イルマ専用たばこ テリア — IQOS Japan (official TEREA line-up page)
- Philip Morris International Launches New IQOS ILUMA in Japan — PMI press release (17 Aug 2021)
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