Lucky Bags are something I’d like you to check out if you happen to visit Japan during the New Year. Lucky Bags, or “Fukubukuro” in Japanese, refer to bags filled with various contents sold in New Years Sales throughout the New Years holiday. Generally speaking, the contents of the bag are kept secret, with the sum value of the products in the bag often totaling to more than the price it is sold for, hence the name “Lucky Bag.”
Lucky Bags are said to have started when departmetn stores wanted to clear out old inventory for the new year and put them in bags to conceal the contents inside and sold the unmarked bags at a discount price.
These days, around the new year, lucky bags are sold all across Japan, and are not limited to just department stores, and have become a staple of New Years celebrations. More than anything else, the best part of lucky bags is the anticipation of not knowing what will be inside the bag until you open it. Whether it end up having something you wanted, or unexpected bargains leaving you feeling like you got a good deal, or sometimes just a bunch of junk, the anticipation, imagination and exhilaration you feel until opening it is something you just can’t get anywhere else.
In recent years, lucky bags have become so popular that some visitors come to Japan just to buy them. There are often lines at brick-and-mortar stores, so if you don’t want to wait, I recommend taking it easy and shopping for your lucky bag online.
For many Japanese, the New Year wouldn’t be complete without a lucky bag. If you happen to be in Japan at just the right time during the New Year’s holiday, I hope you will test your fortune for the new year by enjoying a Lucky Bag of your own.