After the bells have been rung and the sunrise has been watched it’s time to rest, recharge and of course, go shopping! 🛍️

If you’re in Japan and looking to experience the day like a local (after you’ve completed hatsumode) or maybe before depending on your vibe for the day, you might choose to go out and search for Lucky Bags!!

Pre-Covid this was done by lining up at your favorite retail shops and waiting in line in hopes of getting a lot by paying a little.

Also known as Lucky bags, fukubukuro is a mixed bag of items from the shop that is sold as a group at a discounted rate. It is a blind purchase and usually the value of the items that you receive far outweigh the cost that you paid. It can be new items, samples, overstock or a mixture of any of the aforementioned categories.

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During Covid many retailers went to an online raffle type option for quarantine and social distancing vice canceling the sales/events altogether.

With winners being mailed their winnings.

In this post-Covid era now most retailers have some mixture of both, in person or online, with sign ups starting as early as November and filling up fast!!

This isn’t just low or mid range retailers. This is high-end and luxury goods as well. Even food retailers and your favorite conbinis have gotten into the game.

Lucky bag hunting and purchasing is like a post Christmas gift to yourself. So why wouldn’t you want to do it?!?

Are you on the hunt today? If you’ve already got your bag, then drop a comment on your favorite stores or where you went and what you saw!