Right after New Year, Japan’s version of Black Friday kicks in as it becomes “Fukubukuro” (Lucky Bag) Time! Of course, while Black Friday and Cyber Monday have been slowly been integrated to Japanese shopping (thanks Amazon!), the tradition of Fukubukuro continues after the New Year.
Each year in Japan, on New Year’s Day (and sometimes a few days before), many partake in Fukubukuro.
Fukubukuro is a New Year’s custom in which merchants bundle items and put them in mystery lucky bags (or boxes if purchased online) in which people spend money on a bag, not knowing its contents.
Typically you will see lines at electronics and department stores but for men and women’s fashion, there are a good number of stores to partake in fukubukuro.
Most bags are lucky, some bags are unlucky (Village Vanguard).
In 2021, things are a little different, as no race of crowds to get their hands on a fukubukuro bad due to the novel coronavirus but people are in line to get one.
Here are videos of 2021 Fukubukuro posted by numerous people:
