Product | JT Expands Vote-Winning EVO Cacao Mint Crystal to Nationwide Retail in Japan, Adds 22-Stick Limited Pack at Same Price

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Key Points

• JT will expand EVO Cacao Mint Crystal from limited channels to nationwide retail in Japan from October 6.
• The product ranked No. 1 in Ploom's first consumer vote for new tobacco-stick SKUs.
• The capsule stick combines menthol with sweet, bittersweet cacao, with a berry nuance released when the capsule is crushed.
• The standard pack contains 20 sticks and is priced at JPY 620.
• A limited 22-stick version will launch at the same JPY 620 price.
• Nationwide distribution will include convenience stores and tobacco retailers alongside CLUB JT Online Shop, Ploom Shop and Ploom STAND.
• The EVO range will move to the JPY 620 price level from October 1, ahead of the nationwide rollout.

2Firsts

September 9, 2026

According to information published on JT's official website on September 8, 2026, Japan Tobacco (JT) will expand EVO Cacao Mint Crystal, a tobacco stick for Ploom, from limited official channels to convenience stores and tobacco retailers nationwide in Japan from October 6. The product ranked first in Ploom's first consumer voting campaign for new tobacco-stick SKUs held earlier this year.

JT will also introduce the limited-edition EVO Cacao Mint Crystal 22 on the same date. The standard pack contains 20 sticks and the limited pack contains 22, while both are priced at JPY 620. Some stores will begin sales from October 12, and the 22-stick version will remain available only while stocks last.

From Limited Channels to Nationwide Retail

EVO Cacao Mint Crystal is not entering the Japanese market for the first time in October.

JT introduced the product through limited channels including CLUB JT Online Shop and Ploom Shop in January 2026 and included it in Ploom's first consumer vote for new tobacco-stick SKUs.

Four EVO products participated in the campaign: EVO Green Mint, EVO Cacao Mint Crystal, EVO Tropical Lime Crystal and EVO Sakura Regular. Consumers were asked to select products they wanted to see distributed nationwide.

Cacao Mint Crystal finished first.

EVO Sakura Regular, which ranked third, was expanded nationwide in April. JT said at the time that the first- and second-ranked products would also move into broader distribution later.

The October rollout of Cacao Mint Crystal represents a further stage in that product-commercialization process.

Cacao and Menthol With a Berry Capsule

JT describes Cacao Mint Crystal as combining balanced menthol with sweet and bittersweet cacao notes.

Crushing the capsule adds a subtle berry nuance to the cacao and menthol base.

According to ORICON's coverage of JT's product presentation, Cacao Mint Crystal was selected from around 70 distinctive flavor concepts. During development, JT produced more than 15 prototypes built around the combination of cacao and a berry capsule before determining the commercial formulation.

JT positions EVO as its first premium tobacco-stick brand developed specifically for heated tobacco.

Limited 22-Stick Pack Matches the 20-Stick Price

The nationwide rollout also introduces EVO Cacao Mint Crystal 22, which uses the same product and flavor format as the standard version but increases the number of sticks per pack.

The standard configuration is:

20 sticks / JPY 620

The limited version is:

22 sticks / JPY 620

The limited pack contains two additional sticks, representing a 10% increase in stick count at the same listed price.

JT says the 22-stick version will be sold in limited quantities from October 6 and discontinued once inventories are exhausted. Some retail locations may not carry the SKU.

EVO Moves to JPY 620 Price Level From October 1

The nationwide expansion comes during a broader price adjustment for Ploom tobacco sticks in Japan.

According to JT's latest pricing information, the EVO range will move to JPY 620 from October 1, 2026, following changes to Japan's heated tobacco taxation system.

EVO Cacao Mint Crystal will therefore enter nationwide retail on October 6 with both the standard 20-stick pack and the limited 22-stick pack priced at JPY 620.

JT currently lists 12 regular EVO tobacco-stick variants spanning regular, menthol and Crystal capsule products. Cacao Mint Crystal is part of that regular lineup, while the 22-stick format will be sold as an additional limited pack.

All EVO tobacco sticks are compatible with existing Ploom devices.

Consumer Voting Becomes Part of the Nationwide Expansion Path

The Cacao Mint Crystal rollout continues JT's use of consumer feedback as part of Ploom tobacco-stick commercialization.

JT first placed four candidate EVO products in limited retail channels and then asked consumers to vote on the SKUs they wanted to see distributed more broadly.

Selected products have subsequently moved into Japan's nationwide retail network.

The path of Cacao Mint Crystal — from limited availability to a No. 1 consumer-vote result and then nationwide distribution — differs from a conventional product launch that begins with broad national availability.

Industry Perspective

The October rollout combines distribution expansion, consumer-vote commercialization and pack-size differentiation.

Cacao Mint Crystal itself is already on the Japanese market. The main October change is its move from narrower official channels into convenience stores and tobacco retailers nationwide, accompanied by a same-price 22-stick limited pack.

For JT, limited-channel trials and consumer voting provide feedback before selected SKUs are distributed more broadly.

At the same time, Ploom retains a common tobacco-stick compatibility system, allowing expanded EVO products to serve existing devices without creating a separate consumables platform.

The 22-stick limited pack adds another layer of differentiation through packaging rather than changes to flavor or device compatibility.

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Cover image source: ricon

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