January 2nd used to be known as one of the few times the public was allowed behind the walls of the Imperial Palace to see the emperor, but these days you’ll find everyone under 30 jamming the sidewalks of Harajuku in search of Lucky Bags. Lines form outside the most popular stores hours before they open, the shivering stalwarts hoping to grab the merchandise of their dreams for a fraction of the regular price.
Gambling plus bargains – what’s not to like? On fukubukuro day, giant sealed shopping bags are stacked in towers, the goods inside unknown until after you buy, but guaranteed to be worth the amount advertised. The price is usually 75-90% less than regular retail, so squeals of delight from brand devotees come early and often as bags are opened.
And every kind of store gets into the act:
•
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Last Tea Bowl Thief was chosen as an Editor’s Pick for
Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense on Amazon
“A fascinating mix of history and mystery.” —Booklist
•
Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Only In Japan 
I can’t believe I missed the Angelic Pretty sale again!
Gotta be fast to get those pink bags!
even online they go suuuuper fast. I ordered a special set online from the US location at new years last year and it sold out within 5min of midnight @_@
Wow, I had no idea they did this online too! Guess it pays to be on the mailing list, ne?
that is a GREAT idea; I wish we had that here!
It’s a pretty great idea if there’s a store where basically you like everything they sell, so you’d love whatever is inside, huh? Figuring out what to put in the bags must be a little tricky, though. Can’t be anything with a size, or there’s a chance that it won’t fit!
I was just thinking that about the scary underwear store…
Some stores sort items by size… but some don’t. I’ve ordered Lucky Packs online where the same pack has had things in drastically different sizes. I’m not sure how it’s handled in Japan, but I traded with friends, or sold the ones that didn’t fit online. The mark-down is so good that it’s not hard to sell miss-fitting clothing.
Duh, I didn’t even think about selling stuff online until I posted about the grab bag vending machine. That does make the gamble a lot more attractive!