To clarify: lucky bags, “fukubukuro,” are bags filled with various items or clothes that have a much greater value than what the bag is sold for. As the name suggests, you don’t know what exactly is inside, but most bags give at least a few hints, such as “two shirts, shorts, one jacket” or the number of items.

Lumine Shinjuku plans to sell over 100 different kinds of lucky bags for the 2019-2020 New Year’s sale! At Lumine, you can expect to buy lucky bags with clothes of all kinds of popular brands, cosmetics, miscellaneous goods, and even food. Some of them are so popular, they’re sold out within hours – sometimes even minutes – so we highly recommend getting up early!

On top of the lucky bags, Lumine Shinjuku will also hold the biggest bargain sale of the year, starting on January 3. A little exhibition window under the theme of “Nippon no Tradition” can be seen during that time as well, specifically targeted towards international shoppers.

■ Hatsuuri “First Sale of the Year”
January 2 (Tue), from 10:30 a.m. (only on January 2)
■ Bargain Sale
January 3 (Wed) – January 8 (“Lumine The Bargain”), 6 days long
■ Lucky Bag Sale
January 2 (Tue) from 10:30 a.m.

Tobu Department Store is lauded as the place that ignited the trend of product exhibition with its “Hokkaido Exhibition.” Staying true to this characteristic, Tobu plans to sell unique gourmet lucky bags on top of the regular 2018 New Year’s sale.

Other noteworthy bags include the “Happy Bag” filled with yummy pastries by Bakery Kihachi, the “Assorted Senbei Bag” with lots of crunchy rice crackers by Fujimido, and the “Fruit Bag,” which as the name suggests is filled with plenty of fresh fruit by Kyushuya. Tobu Department Store’s gourmet lucky bags truly are unlike any other kind of fukubukuro, so stop by and take a look!

■ Hatsuuri “First Sale of the Year”
January 2 (Tue), 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (the shop might open earlier, depending on the demand)
■ Bargain Sale
January 2 (Wed) 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
■ Lucky Bag Sale
January 2 (Tue) 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Seibu Shibuya has planned a large lucky bag selection, including numerous popular brands. It’s a great opportunity to get your hands on clothes and other goods that you likely wouldn’t think to buy just by themselves.

A special kind of 2018 lucky bag at Seibu Shibuya will be the experience-type bag. As its name suggests, it isn’t about items but about experiences, such as a rickshaw tour along Shibuya’s most popular sightseeing spots or a night in the “artist room” of Park Hotel Tokyo, which is beautifully adorned with the paintings of famous artist Hiroko Otake.

Even if you don’t plan on buying a lucky bag, why not stop by to enjoy the live painting event by Hiroko Otake on January 2, from 4:00 p.m.? A bargain is held as well, of course, offering all sorts of things between 20% and 50% off! Until January 8, all kinds of events are held at Seibu Shibuya, including “Neo Night Japan Shibuya.” Don’t miss out!

■ Hatsuuri “First Sale of the Year”
January 1 (Mon), 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
■ Bargain Sale
January 1 (Mon) – January 15 (Mon)
■ Lucky Bag Sale
January 1 (Mon) from 10:00 a.m. – January 3 (Wed) until 8:00 p.m.

Shinjuku’s Odakyu Mylord is a fashion building directly connected to Shinjuku Station. The main attraction of this department store’s New Year’s sale is the lucky bags that are offered by 83 different stores! Reservations for some of the bags have already started! If you’re interested in one particular brand, you should definitely go and check early.

Also, all lucky bag shoppers receive a New Year’s gift scratch ticket, and the first 100 people who come and line up for the department store’s bags will get a breakfast coupon. On top of that, events such as night sale and restaurant night discounts will make sure that your lucky bag experience is a pleasant one!

■ Hatsuuri “First Sale of the Year”
January 1 (Mon), 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
■ Bargain Sale
January 2 (Tue) – January 8 (Mon)
※Only on January 2: 10:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m., restaurant floor open until 11:00 p.m.
■ Lucky Bag Sale
January 1 (Mon) – January 3 (Wed)
※Limited quantity, some shops excluded.

Seibu Shinjuku PePe’s main draw for 2018 is the so-called climax sale which offers various goods for up to 50% off! Various bargain corners will also be set up, so look forward to some ridiculously low prices and a wonderful shopping experience. PePe’s shops will also offer their own lucky bags, so it’s one of Shinjuku’s prime locations for Tokyo’s New Year’s sale.

■ Hatsuuri “First Sale of the Year”
January 1 (Mon), 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
■ Bargain Sale
January 1 (Mon) – January 8 (Mon)
■ Lucky Bag Sale
January 1 (Mon) – January 3 (Wed)

Japan’s “hatsuuri” and “fukubukuro” are a real only-in-Japan experience. Everything about it is amazing: the atmosphere, the excitement of opening a bag, and, of course, the prices! If you’re interested in specific brands, it’s definitely worth it to check their bargain schedule beforehand!

A lot of the lucky bag and bargain information isn’t released until January 1 or 2, so do keep an eye on social networks if you’re planning a real Japanese New Year’s shopping spree. Greet 2018 with a new wardrobe for very little money!

Among the most famous of New Year's fukubukuro sales places is, of course, SHIBUYA109. Every single year, about 2,000 people wait in line to get into the shopping center and every single year, SHIBUYA109 is on the news as the hot spot of lucky bag shopping. For the most popular lucky bags from the brands of the mall, a lot of people actually start lining up the day before, and particularly young people are after the famously popular brand lucky bags of SHIBUYA109.

One of the first lucky bags to be sold out is the one by the casual yet elegant brand Cecil McBee, and indeed, a brand's popularity can easily be measured by how long the queue in front of it is. Just watching the craze around the lucky bags is an amazing spectacle every year. This year, the brand will offer two kinds of lucky bags for 10,000 yen, and one lucky bag for 20,000 yen, making for three different types of fukubukuro in total. The goods inside these lucky bags are sure to have a total worth at least double the price of the fukubukuro itself, so it's an amazing bargain!

Another famous characteristic of SHIBUYA109's fukubukuro sale is the bartering around the entrance. Since you do not know what exactly is inside a lucky bag when buying it, you might end up with things you don't exactly love. In this case, be sure to hit up this barter hot spot at the entrance and trade away to your heart's desire! SHIBUYA109's lucky bag sale starts on January 2nd.

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