Fukubukuro (Lucky Bags) in Japan: When the New Year Sales Start, How to Buy One, and Tax-Free Tips

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Fukubukuro, or "lucky bags", are bags of goods that shops sell at a fixed price at New Year, usually worth more than you pay. They go on sale with hatsuuri, the first sale of the year, in the first days of January. For the January 2026 sales, Mitsukoshi and Isetan began on January 2, while Takashimaya, Daimaru Matsuzakaya and Matsuya Ginza (Tokyo) began on January 3; a few malls, such as Tokyo Solamachi, opened on New Year's Day.

New Year (shogatsu, roughly January 1 to 3) is Japan's biggest holiday, and the first sales are part of it, with lines at the doors and lucky bags stacked by the entrance. This guide explains when the sales start, what is inside a bag, how people buy them, and how tax-free shopping works now. For which shops, museums and trains change their hours over the holiday, see our guide to New Year closures in Japan.

When the New Year sales start

Each store sets its own dates. In recent years, the big department stores have opened later than they used to. According to a Kyodo News report on January 2, 2026, Sogo & Seibu opened all their stores from January 2, 2026, and Takashimaya and Daimaru Matsuzakaya have, since 2025, closed on both January 1 and January 2 as a rule.

• Department stores (Mitsukoshi, Isetan, Takashimaya, Daimaru, Matsuzakaya, Seibu, Sogo and others) are where many visitors go first. Expect January 2 or January 3, and plan as if January 1 is closed.
• Fashion buildings and malls such as Lumine, Parco and SHIBUYA109 mostly started on January 2, 2026. A few, including LaLaport, Tokyo Solamachi and Laforet Harajuku (Tokyo), opened on January 1, 2026.
• The sale goes on after the first day. Many of these sales ran until about January 12, 2026, but the lucky bags themselves often sell out on the first day or two.

In 2027, January 1 is a Friday, January 2 a Saturday and January 3 a Sunday, so expect weekend crowds on the first days of the sale.

What's inside a lucky bag

A lucky bag is sold sealed, at one price, and the shop puts in more than that price would usually buy. That's the fun of it: you find out what you got when you open it. Clothing shops tend to fill bags with their own items in one size, so check the size on the bag before you pay. Many shops now also sell bags that show the contents or a list of them, and food halls sell bags of sweets, tea or other food.

• Check the size and the type. Clothing bags are often sold by size, and some by women's or men's lines.
• Ask about returns. Lucky bags are usually sold as they are. If you are unsure, ask whether a return or an exchange is possible before you pay.
• Think about your suitcase. A big bag of winter clothes is hard to fly home with. Food bags may include things you can't take into your own country, so check your country's rules before you open the snacks at home.

How people buy them

There are three common ways, and which one a shop uses changes from year to year.

1. Line up on the day. The classic way. Popular shops can have a line before the doors open, and staff guide it outside the building. Dress warmly: see what to wear in Japan in winter.
2. Numbered tickets or a lottery in the store. Some shops hand out tickets or hold a draw for the most popular bags, so that people don't rush. Read the shop's notice for when and where tickets are given out.
3. Online lottery before New Year. Some bags are sold only online. For example, Starbucks Japan's lucky bag for 2027 is sold only by online lottery, not in stores: entry ran from November 4 to November 15, 2026, for members of its My Starbucks web service, with delivery between January 1 and January 7, 2027. A bag that is delivered needs an address where you can receive it, and many online stores in Japan ask for a Japanese address and phone number, so this way mostly suits people who live in Japan.

On the day, keep your bags, wallet and phone close in the crowd, and agree on a meeting point if you are shopping with others.

Tax-free shopping and paying

Japan changed tax-free shopping for visitors on November 1, 2026. You now pay the full price, including consumption tax, and the tax is refunded after customs checks the goods when you leave Japan. Bring your passport, ask at the store's tax-free counter whether the lucky bag you want can be bought tax-free, and keep the goods unused until you depart. For the full process and the common mistakes, see our guide to tax-free shopping in Japan.

Most department stores and malls take international credit cards, but a small shop or a stall may ask for cash. Get the cash you need before the holiday, because some ATMs are inside buildings that close for the New Year. Our guide to cash, cards and IC cards in Japan explains the options.

Plan your first-sale day

1. In late December, check the New Year opening day and hours on each store's official site.
2. Look for the lucky bags you want on the shop's own page or social media, and note whether they are sold by line, ticket or lottery.
3. Check the first train from your hotel on a holiday timetable, and arrive early.
4. Bring your passport, a card and some cash, and a foldable bag.
5. Combine the day with a shrine visit, or hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year, but check the crowds and hours first.

Last reviewed: November 9, 2026. The sale dates above are from January 2026. Stores usually announce the 2027 dates in December, and they can differ from store to store, even within one chain. Please check each store's official notice before you go.