Fans of the acclaimed anime studio are swooning over this bag full of cute Ghibli merchandise that costs just 25 bucks!
fukubukuro (Page 11)
Starbucks jams this year’s lucky bag with coffee beans, vouchers, and gorgeous drinkware, all for roughly 50 bucks!
Once again, to feel the true thrill of the gamble of a New Year’s fukubukuro (lucky bag) Mr. Sato doubles down and grabs a bag of junk… or is it?
In order to figure out what might be in the bag this year, we have to look to the past to see the future!
Even the world’s biggest sandwich chain is getting in on Japan’s lucky bag retail tradition.
What did we find in our 2016 Toys “R” Us lucky bags? Join us as we open both a “boys’ version” and a “girls’ version” bag!
Popular anime shop Animega makes up their New Year lucky bag with all our favourite Sailor Moon characters, including Luna the cat.
Donguri Kyowakoku, the chainstore that sells nothing but Studio Ghibli items, has delighted fans with the best offering of the year: a bag filled with amazing Ghibli merchandise.
Mr. Sato visits the Iwayuru Junk Shop in Tokyo’s Akihabara district in search of a true lucky bag: one where you don’t know what you’ll get inside.
The fukubukuro fun continues as we snag a lucky bag crammed full of merch, including limited edition items, from the Evangelion Store Tokyo-01.
A new year means new lucky bags! So, how’s the haul from Starbucks? We find out after waiting in line all night!
Kentucky Fried Chicken may be a favorite Christmas food in Japan, but thanks to this limited-time offer, the feasting may just have to continue!
Japan has many wonderful New Year’s traditions, including visiting the local shrine, eating auspicious food, and sending postcards to all your friends. But one of the most exciting and potentially disappointing activities that occur on the first day of January is the purchasing of fukubukuro. Commonly referred to as “Lucky Bags” in English, fukubukoro are specially priced parcels of surplus items from popular stores across Japan that are usually valued well over the purchase price.
This year, we sent 10 of our Japanese reporters out on the streets early New Year’s morning to gather up the best Lucky Bags they could find. Some came back with somewhat useless products even Mr. Sato wouldn’t want. Other’s were pleasantly surprised to find rare and valuable items nestled in their bags. But despite deep discounts, Lucky Bags aren’t always worth the wait and price, so in order to save you time on next year’s Japanese New Year’s shopping adventures, each of our writers has chosen the best Lucky Bags this side of the Pacific.
Remember the Muji Fortune Can that we featured a few days ago from our favorite minimalist home goods store, Muji? Following that welcome discovery, our Japanese reporter also managed to get her hands on both a Muji Women’s Clothing Lucky Bag and a Muji Health & Beauty Lucky Bag.
Although she was content with most of the surprises, there was one clothing item in particular that stumped her–can anyone give her a few tips on how best to wear it? Don’t miss her mini fashion show after the jump!
It seems like we’ve been spending every spare moment we have snatching up fukubukuro, the lucky bag bundles that shoppers in Japan buy at New Year’s without knowing what’s inside. As a matter of fact, by the time we stopped and took count, we’d grabbed eight different fukubukuro from cafés near our office.
As a result, we’re pretty much stocked up on coffee for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, we’ve got so much we’d be happy to pour you a cup, if only the RocketNews24 offices had a visitors’ lounge. But since it doesn’t, instead, we’re going to give you the information you need to pick the best café lucky bag for yourself, as we present the RocketNews24 Ultimate Café Fukubukuro Ranking 2015.
When you buy a fukubukuro (lucky bag) from a store in Japan, you can usually be sure that the value of their contents will surpass the amount you paid for the bag; it’s a guarantee, or else no one would ever buy them! But when you decide to buy a fukubukuro from a secondhand store, you certainly can’t feel 100% sure that you will get your money’s worth.
Are your secondhand items going to be in good condition? Are you going to be getting some good value? Or are you getting the games that even the secondhand store just wants to get rid of? Let Tokyo’s most famous used video game store Super Potato help you decide after the break.
While our RocketNews24 Japanese team of writers has been having fun snatching up a variety of lucky bags during this first week of the new year, the contents of those bags have ranged from exciting to just plain meh. But the two lucky bags our Japanese correspondent Yoshio grabbed from UFO catchers (aka claw machines) have hit a new all-time low. We don’t think he’ll be going back for more next year…
MOST POPULAR
Now
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japan’s ministry of economy reminds us to “use sound judgment” before buying toilet paper
Japanese kindness restores our faith in humanity after a highway bus accident in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Japanese politicians working to promote plastic model culture as a cultural asset
7-Eleven Japan releases a crazy new viral sandwich: Chocolate Sprinkles and Whipped Cream
Ramen restaurant in top Tokyo tourist neighborhood skips price gouging, but how does it taste?
“Online streamer” tops dream job poll for young Japanese kids, older kids not so interested
Studio Ghibli releases the My Neighbour Totoro tea caddy, with a magical self-closing lid
Weekly
- Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area- 7-Eleven Japan releases a crazy new viral sandwich: Chocolate Sprinkles and Whipped Cream
Nine amazing off-the-beaten-path cherry blossom spots in Japan for yaezakura and shidarezakura
Japan now has a “for foreign tourists only” Mt. Fuji sightseeing train[Video]
Stunning central Japan wisteria festival is like a purple fantasy straight out of a Ghibli movie- Studio Ghibli releases the My Neighbour Totoro tea caddy, with a magical self-closing lid
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Create a tiny Ghibli anime world on your bookshelf with new miniature papercraft art kits- Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Monthly
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character- Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
- Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
Yearly
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Japanese politicians working to promote plastic model culture as a cultural asset
7-Eleven Japan releases a crazy new viral sandwich: Chocolate Sprinkles and Whipped Cream
Ramen restaurant in top Tokyo tourist neighborhood skips price gouging, but how does it taste?
“Online streamer” tops dream job poll for young Japanese kids, older kids not so interested
Studio Ghibli releases the My Neighbour Totoro tea caddy, with a magical self-closing lid
How many doughnuts can you pack in a Mister Donut all-you-can-pack deal?
We try a viral Chinese TikTok recipe for spicy ramen using Sprite soda in the broth【SoraKitchen】
The fastest mochi maker in Japan reveals secrets of his technique【Video】
Create a tiny Ghibli anime world on your bookshelf with new miniature papercraft art kits
Tokyo Station’s perfect breakfast spot might just be this izakaya Japanese-style pub
Universal Studios’ Sailor Moon theme park attraction is finally coming to America
Mr. Sato Schools Fellow Reporter at “Go! Go! Curry” Speed Eating Contest
The results are in! One Piece World Top 100 characters chosen in global poll
Peko-chan Milky Time Cafe opens in Chiba and we go to check out all of the pastries and merch
-
