There’s more than just doughnuts in this fukubukuro.

Like most of Japan right now, we’re crazy for fukubukuro (“lucky bags”), which can be found at stores around Japan at the beginning of every year. These bargain bags usually represent great value for money, and some of the most consistently popular are the ones from Krispy Kreme Japan.

This year, the chain sold three types of lucky bags, priced at 4,000 yen (US$25.43), 5,000 yen and 7,000 yen, although at the branch we visited, the cheapest and most expensive bags had already sold out, so we went home with the 5,000 yen variety.

This turned out to be a good thing in the end, because according to the official website, this bag contains the most items out of all three.

The first thing we received in the bag was the “Zodiac Dozen” a collection of 12 doughnuts that includes two of the special limited-edition zodiac snake doughnuts.

The bag also contained a “Doughnuts Passport” that can be exchanged for 12 donuts, with the validity period being relatively long, from 6 January to 30 June.

▼ Finally, we have a canvas tote bag embroidered with the Krispy Kreme logo.

So was this a good value deal? Well, with the Zodiac Dozen priced at 2,916 yen, and the value of the passport being 4,272 yen, if you purchase single doughnuts that cost 356 yen each, then the value here of the goods stands at 7,188 yen. That means you get the tote bag for free, plus an extra 2,188 yen in value, which is a great deal for doughnut lovers.

However, if you use the passport to buy an Original Glazed Dozen, which costs 2,460 yen, you’ll only be getting 5,376-yen worth of doughnuts, so you’ll want to keep that in mind when using the passport.

So in the end, the Krispy Kreme lucky bag is good value for money, but if you use the passport for single doughnuts, it’ll be even better value for money, giving you the most in return for your yen. As is the case with all lucky bags, the ones from Krispy Kreme are only available for a limited time while stocks last, so if you spot one, don’t hesitate to buy it, otherwise you’ll have to wait until next year!

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