Star Birth introduced the VSTAR mechanic to the game in January 2022. The 30th CELEBRATION Booster Box, released worldwide on September 16, 2026, introduces nothing mechanically new — it is a special-edition set built around reprints and a 30-illustrator Pikachu subset. Star Birth packs hold 5 cards; 30th CELEBRATION packs hold 6. The two boxes differ in pack count and chase-card type.
This guide sets out what each set’s official product page and card database confirm, what our own guides add on top of that, and what both boxes are asking for on SNKRDUNK as of September 18, 2026.
The 30th CELEBRATION Booster Box is a 2026 worldwide release with 6-card packs and a Pikachu-subset gimmick. The Star Birth Booster Box is a 2022 Japan release with 5-card packs and a 127-card set led by the Special Art Charizard V (103/100) and the Ultra Rare Arceus VSTAR (125/100). Both are currently listed on our site.
Store prices and availability checked September 25, 2026 at 13:48 JST. Marketplace observations retain their stated dates. USD conversions use ¥154 per US dollar.
USD figures convert at ¥154/USD, approximate.
The Two Boxes at a Glance
| 30th CELEBRATION (M6a) | Star Birth (S9) | |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | September 16, 2026 (worldwide) | January 14, 2022 (Japan) |
| Pack price | ¥360 (official) | ¥165 (official) |
| Cards per pack | 6 foil cards, 1 Basic Energy guaranteed (official) | 5 cards (official) |
| Packs per box | 20 packs, ¥7,200 total (¥360 × 20; pack price official, box price via Pokémon Center Online) | not stated on the official product page or in our guide |
| Set size | 165 numbered cards plus eight Basic Energy (173 in all) | 127 cards — a 100-card base set plus a 27-card secret tier (official database count) |
| Top rarity | FUR (Futuristic Rare) — no published pull rate | UR (Ultra Rare); HR (Hyper Rare) also present |
| Our listing | Sealed ¥28,500 (~$185) / No Shrink ¥23,500 (~$153) | ¥19,200 (~$125) |
Both official pack prices are confirmed on their respective product pages. Neither official page prints a packs-per-box figure or a box MSRP as a single line item — M6a’s ¥7,200 box price comes from Pokémon Center Online’s own listing, while Star Birth’s packs-per-box count is not stated on the official page or in our guide, so no box MSRP is printed for it here.
30th CELEBRATION Booster Box: What’s Inside
Every 30th CELEBRATION pack is guaranteed six foil cards and one YOSHIROTTEN-designed Basic Energy, per the official product page. Its main draw is a 30-card Pikachu holo subset (017–046), one illustration per artist, sitting inside the main 001–103 numbering. Above that sit the AR, SAR and FUR secret-rarity blocks, plus a 30-card Classic Collection reprint run (136–165) that carries no regulation mark.
PokeBeach reported, from an official box opening shown before release, that one 20-pack box contained 20 of the 30 Pikachu (no duplicates), 2 Classic Collection cards, 4 AR, 1 SAR and 1 FUR. That is one reported opening, not a published pull rate. Our 30th CELEBRATION Booster Box pre-order guide has the full Sealed vs No Shrink breakdown, and our Booster Box vs FUTURISTIC BOX vs Premium Deck Set comparison covers the other two 30th-branded products.
Star Birth Booster Box: What’s Inside
Star Birth released in Japan on January 14, 2022, as the Sword & Shield-era expansion that introduced the VSTAR mechanic — Arceus VSTAR, Charizard VSTAR and Shaymin VSTAR all first appeared here. The 127-card total splits into a 100-card base set and a 27-card secret tier numbered 101/100 through 127/100. Packs per box are not stated on the official product page, and our own guide does not state a figure either — the closest official bundle reference is a separate trainer box product, which is not the same thing as a booster box.
Its chase cards are described in text rather than pictured. Our Star Birth Booster Box buying guide has the full secret-tier breakdown.
Chase Cards Compared
| Set | Card | Rarity |
|---|---|---|
| M6a | Mew ex / Mewtwo ex (FUR) | Futuristic Rare, YOSHIROTTEN illustration |
| M6a | One of 30 Pikachu (017–046) | Pikachu holo subset, one per 30 illustrators |
| S9 | Charizard V 103/100 | SR, Special Art treatment (our guide’s rarity label) |
| S9 | Charizard V 102/100 | SR (regular full art, per our guide) |
| S9 | Charizard VSTAR 118/100 | HR |
| S9 | Arceus VSTAR 125/100 | UR |
| S9 | Arceus V 112/100 | SR, Special Art treatment (our guide’s rarity label) |
M6a’s chase run is two new FUR secret rares plus the 30-Pikachu subset unique to this set. Star Birth’s chase run is a Charizard V pair (one Special Art, one regular full art) plus the VSTAR mechanic’s own debut Ultra Rare, Arceus VSTAR.
Dated Market Snapshot
On SNKRDUNK, the lowest asking price for a sealed (shrink) M6a Booster Box moved ¥47,200 (September 1) → ¥28,200 (September 10) → ¥17,500 (September 16, release day) → ¥20,994 (September 18) — roughly 2.9× the ¥7,200 MSRP. The Star Birth Booster Box had a lowest ask of ¥20,780 on SNKRDUNK on September 18, 2026, with no earlier dated figures collected in this update. Both figures are seller asking prices on a resale marketplace, not confirmed sale prices, and neither predicts where either box goes next.
Which Box Fits You
- You want a current-year worldwide release with a set-exclusive gimmick: the 30th CELEBRATION Booster Box. Its 30-Pikachu subset and FUR cards exist only in this set.
- You want the set that introduced the VSTAR mechanic, with a Charizard chase pair: the Star Birth Booster Box, released January 14, 2022.
- You care about cards per pack: M6a packs hold six cards against Star Birth’s five, though the sets are not priced or structured identically pack for pack.
Both are Japanese-language products shipped from our Tokyo warehouse, so the decision comes down to which era and which chase cards you want on your shelf.
Where to Buy
Both boxes are currently listed on our site and ship from Tokyo with tracked delivery.
The Star Birth Booster Box is currently listed at ¥19,200 (~$125), with a Damaged Box option (cosmetic outer-box wear only, cards unaffected) currently listed at ¥19,200 (~$125). Browse the full Japanese Pokémon card collection, see the complete 30th Celebration card list, or use Quick Order to build a mixed order of both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the main difference between the 30th CELEBRATION and Star Birth booster boxes?
Release era and mechanic. 30th CELEBRATION (M6a) released worldwide on September 16, 2026, as a special-edition reprint-and-Pikachu-subset set. Star Birth (S9) released in Japan on January 14, 2022, as the set that introduced the VSTAR mechanic.
How many packs come in each box?
The 30th CELEBRATION box holds 20 packs (¥7,200 total, pack price ¥360 official). Star Birth’s packs-per-box count is not stated on the official product page or in our own guide.
What are the headline chase cards in each set?
30th CELEBRATION’s headline cards are the FUR Mew ex and Mewtwo ex plus the 30-illustrator Pikachu subset. Star Birth’s headline cards are the Special Art Charizard V (103/100), the regular full-art Charizard V (102/100), the Hyper Rare Charizard VSTAR (118/100) and the Ultra Rare Arceus VSTAR (125/100).
What was each box’s lowest SNKRDUNK asking price on September 18, 2026?
The sealed 30th CELEBRATION box’s lowest ask was ¥20,994. The Star Birth box’s lowest ask was ¥20,780. Both figures are asking prices on a resale marketplace, not confirmed sale prices.
Can I buy both boxes from Samurai Sword Tokyo?
Yes. Both are currently listed: the 30th CELEBRATION Booster Box (Sealed and No Shrink) and the Star Birth Booster Box (regular and Damaged Box), all shipping from our Tokyo warehouse with tracked delivery.
Did Star Birth introduce the VSTAR mechanic?
Yes, per our guide. Arceus VSTAR, Charizard VSTAR and Shaymin VSTAR all made their first appearance in Star Birth, released January 14, 2022.
Get ¥2,000 in points with a free account
Create free account1 pt = ¥1 · Use on up to 20% of your order total · Welcome points expire 30 days after sign-up · Import duties, taxes and customs charges are not included in the price and are collected on delivery, except for destinations we ship duty-paid.
Picked for this article
📩 Get member-only sale alerts & coupons
Sale alerts, coupons and restock notices by email — straight from Tokyo.
