If you have ever been in a Japanese bookstore, you have probably noticed magazines bundled thick with various freebies ranging from simple stationery items to things like hair accessories, bento bags, and even passport cases! These free gifts, called furoku in Japanese, are commonly included with manga magazines and magazines for girls and women. I remember the first time I saw this was while living in Japan in the mid-aughts and assumed this custom was a more recent phenomenon as print was trying to compete with online content. However, I was quite surprised to discover that this custom of including furoku with a magazine purchase actually dates back to the late 1800s, and furoku have been included with Shojo magazines since their debut back in 1902!