One of the special and fun New Year’s activities in Japan is the bargain sale called Hatsuuri or the first sale. The highlight of Hatsuuri is the sale of “Fukubukuro” or lucky bags, which is a very popular custom in Japan. The idea behind Fukubukuro originates from a bag that God carries which is filled with luck. Fukubukuros are limited in number, but the assortment of items in the bags is always worth several times more than the price of the bag and they are mainly sold from January 1st to 3rd, during Hatsuuri.
In Japan, on New Year’s Day, merchants sell these lucky bags for at least half of what they are actually worth. The catch? The contents of the bags are a complete surprise not to be revealed until they are purchased.
Let’s take a look the how’s the customers rush to buy the Fukubukuro.
