Japan is truly an amazing place with so many new experiences to be found. One discovery on our three week trip to Japan must be added to your “must-do” list – fukubukuro shopping!
Shopping season in Japan is mid-December to mid-January since stores have their biggest sales of the year. They also sell something that speaks to both the shopper and gambler inside all of us – Fukubukuro!
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What is Fukubukuro?
Fukubukuro translates to “Lucky Bag” and, well, that’s exactly what it is. Different stores across Japan assemble these bags (or boxes) during the Christmas and New Year period. This centuries old tradition only gets bigger every year!
The one thing all Fukubukuro have in common is that you have no idea what’s inside until it is open. You’ll have an idea of what is inside based on the type of store you’re at but lately some stores have started giving hints as to what is inside.
Find Your Size
It is a bit tricky at clothing stores since sizes vary but the bags will be marked with the sizes of what’s inside. You can also ask someone who works there if what’s in the bag will fit you. Mark bought a clothing bag with his size on it and just about everything fit great.
Fukubukuro Swap
If you’re feeling really courageous, you can also jump in on a Fukubukuro tradition: the swap. You can find groups of locals gathering together after buying their lucky bags wanting to trade with others. Mark didn’t open his bag until later that night so we didn’t get a chance to participate – next time, though!
Where to Buy Fukubukuro
You will find Fukubukuro at just about any retailer selling a wide range of items. They sell for as low as a few hundred yen up to over ¥150 million. Don’t worry about breaking the bank because most bags come with a very reasonable price tag. Most lucky bags cost between ¥5000 and ¥10,000. Here’s the best part – the value of goods in the bag is worth at least double that amount!
The simple answer to where to find a fukubukuro is: almost everywhere! Everything from food, coffee, shoes, computers, cameras…the list is endless. Even big, international brands like Starbucks, Nike, Adidas, Apple, L’Ocitane, Disney and more offer a Fukubukuro for sale around January 1.
Do Your Fukubukuro research
You really need to research before heading out on a lucky bag hunt. Some stores, mostly clothing and makeup, might start selling their bags in early December while others, like Starbucks, work on a lottery system that you need to register for months ahead of time.
Narrow Down Your Search
Keep this in mind if there is something really specific you’re looking for and don’t want to miss out. If you’re not looking for something specific then just pick an area you’d like to shop in and wander around until you find something that catches your eye.
Some stores, like Pokemon or Nintendo, are very popular so a line will start a few hours before the store opens. It can also get a bit chaotic but not too wild – picture a really polite Black Friday sale!
Our Fukubukuro Purchase
We found a clothing-filled Fukubukuro from Blackanny in Harajuku for ¥11,000 and we were not disappointed (well, Mark wasn’t disappointed). With all the items in the bag, the total value was well over ¥50,000! We definitely made our money back and then some.
Mark didn’t keep everything from the bag and will sell some things he either wasn’t going to wear or didn’t really fit right. After selling a few of the items, we made our money back on the original purchase plus a little more – it was an amazing value! You must buy at least one while in Japan. Half of the fun is not knowing what is inside!
Should You Buy a Fukubukuro?
We definitely recommend picking up a fukubukuro while you’re in Japan. It’s a lot of fun to get swept up in the excitement of fukubukuro shopping. You will also come out with a lot of interesting souvenirs that you may not have picked up otherwise.
The Fukubukuro tradition adds a lot of fun to the shopping experience. Be sure to go out on the hunt if you’re in Japan this winter!
Need to travel around Japan to get the best Lucky Bags? Check out our “Is the JR Pass Worth It” post to see if you should pick up a JR Pass before your adventure to Japan.
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