Fukubukuro

I never did any New Years shopping, especially after Christmas Day. Parking at malls are pretty bad about two weeks before Christmas and about a week after when all of the sales are happening. Too bad not many game retailers or anime stores around here have huge sales during that time, I would brave the parking if they were.

This is why I buy most of my stuff online. The prices are competitive even when things in the stores are on sale because there's no sales tax online. Although going out and browsing for stuff can be fun, this kind of mad crazy sales are usually not worth all the trouble.

I am, but it isn't because of New Year's Sales, or stuff like that.

The stuff I buy doesn't get cheaper during new year anyways.

It's because I spend new year in São Paulo, where most of my family lives.

So I usually go shopping for stuff I couldn't, or didn't buy during the year... this year was clothing.

Also, it's when I go to my favorite (and probably the only one in Brazil) store that sells imported japanese anime magazines and artbooks.

This year I spend a lot... Robot Color Comic 6, Animage, Dengeki Daioh, Megami Deluxe... etc etc etc.

I also bought some figures this time. Weren't the ones on my priority list, but were good enough. ^^

More than I can expect buying in Brazil...

ROFLMAO at the link Danny gave for a bag full of shite.. なんじゃ、コリャ！
If people already knew that most of the bag is full of shite, why would they bought them anyway?? Not to mention the price isn't cheap at all!
Sure if you're really lucky you might get expensive/great stuff, but most of the time you end up getting crap..
This makes me wonder what the heck are they thinking, or probably people just love gambling.

Looks like an adult version of gashapon dispensers LOL (you pay for something, not knowing the content). At my place, similar activity would be called 'tikam'. But no, we dont have shops doing FukoBokuro.

when you said "literally full of shite" i thought it was full of the substance of human waste.

i seldom buy stuff during the new year; too busy deciding what to throw out for Chinese New Year to bother with new ones.

lol power cables.
i would have liked to go and get a few thigns in the sales but i just didn't find the time unlike my brothers.

We sorta have something like that, but its not big annual thing like Japan. You'll sometimes see it at a store sale. It's called a 'grab bag', but it doesn't usually sell as people here like to know what they are buying. Crap or not.

The first queue looks like mostly women. Probably designer stores. The second indoor one looks mostly men. Tenga cup sale? I don't want that Fukubukuro.

Hey Danny, you or you wife every buy these bags? Every get anythin good?

Ive never seen Fukoubukuro. Full of power cable inside...its indeed misfortune bag XD.

I got a few fukubukuros from various gothic lolita brands, & thankfully for me, the contents inside are what i've been wanting for a long time..! ^_^ original cost of the contents would be around 45,000yen but i got it for only 15,000yen :D

If you ever wonder if I am an impulsive -type consumer, I'd gladly respond to you with a "You got the wrong number". ^^
Thus an obvious no from me.

Fukubukuro... I read a funny thing about it in Kobo-chan, a 4 panels manga http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=1696

The story goes like this: Tabata family has just arrived back at home from their new year shopping at a department store, and they bought a fukubukuro along with them. And then the grandfather of the house asks the wife,"Sanae, what is in the fukubukuro?"

Sanae Tabata answers,"A very good pair of children clothings." The grandfather then said,"that's wonderful!" Sanae responds,"yeah but.."

They then move to the room where Kobo has already worn the clothing from fukubukuro.. which makes them laugh very hard since the clothing is for girls! While Kobo is a male..

Too bad that clothing was a very good one... (probably a brand name one).. if only they have a daughter ^_^

that's a nice marketing strategy. *takes notes*

this is a learning experience that i can apply in the future ^_____^

When you said the bag of misfortune where the contents were full of shite, I thought of expired food, fish heads, rotten vegetables... But the contents were safer than I thought...

I have never come across this kind of bag before...lol, the things contain in it are power cables...I don't think I will be trying out the luck haha... ^_^

lol.. a bag full of cables.. xD

we don´t do that shoping over here...evrything jus turn to normal since the prices for x-mas get high XD
it would be a nice idea to that.....

It looks like japanese people have a great love to queeing in lines. There's o power on earth to make me stand in such a long queue, I'll be bored to death ~_~

i wonder why would anyone buy the bag in the first place? ('~')

Not a New Year sales junkie, but I usually do go shopping. In Florida I would sometimes find spring clothing on sales. I stay away from the "Shite-we-could-not-get-rid-of-all year". It's amazing how obsessive they are about shopping here. Many where still going at it when I was in the bookstore today. ^^; They expect everything to be on sale.

Wow I see a few guys in that line. I have seen some good women shoppers in my time, but I truly believe it is written into the genetic code of Japanese women. ^^;

Hahaha! Fukoubukuro bag! I need to look for one in the future. Knowing my luck I would get an IOU for power cables! ^o^ No no, I have gotten some nice stuff in Fukubukuro before. How about you Danny?

Yo Danny; I never knew you storm troopers were good with the ladies :p
Maybe next time you can give me some tips ^_^;!

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9141/n101400673300284965629ya7.jpg

Fukubukuro wins at life! I'm a total fukubukuro junkie, though not many are available online. In most cases, the stores don't ship internationally so it's a no-go for Japan-based fukubukuro. I'd love to hit Akiba for some techie fukubukuro though.

this fukubukuro thing, can u touch and check them without seeing (konata skill, check it from weight and sound of it, maybe texture by touching)?

or u have to point which bag u choose in the cashier and buy it?

Yep, I was researching Fukubukuro just a few days ago on yahoo japan, looking at the stuff which is in the bags, and I must say most look like trash I wouldn't get. :)

Not a new years sale junkie unless it involves anime stores.

I'm not actually a new years sales junkie...at least I wasn't until this year when I spent like a fortune on figures...hope it's not the start of a new habit @.@

cool! I wish i live in japan

i don' t know japanese.
can u teach me?

I'm not at all, but if I had the money I would go buy some nice gadgets/camera things. ^^

I think the time is worth a look in the shop. I got myself a great new jacket! yay!

I wouldn't call the Fukoubukuro full of shite, I could use some of those cables!

I lost mine for my old, old laptop, and those are the kind I need!

I'm not huge on post-x'mas shopping but I do like to keep my eyes peels on-line for deals on stuff I've been too distracted to get during the year.

Also, my brother and I usually meet back at my parents house and we'll hit the local gaming shop who has a tradition of putting up some crazy prices on the 26 of December every year. They'd be an awesome candidate for putting up Fukubukuro packages!! :)

Fukubukuro... Something hardly ever mentioned outside Japan. I only remember its existance recently on the news.

I'm usually constantly stuck on what I want to buy, so I normally end up not buying much at all, but it can happen anytime during the year.

I'm french, and I love your blog ! so interesting ^^

Yeah, not so sure Fukubukuro is something I'd get into. I suck at contests and such, so I just know I'd wind up paying too much for a bag full of crap that I don't want or need. >_< No nifty goodies for Lord Huggington...

I LOLed when I saw the content of the fukoubukuro...the people who bought that fukoubukuro certainly have no lack of cables now. =P
Back on topic, I'm not a new years sale junky at all and probably never will be. I don't think there are a lot of new years sale junkies in Holland, since stores here always have a hard time to sell their stuff in January.

I wouldn't get any fukubukuro. ^^;

Firstly because I don't like spending money (I'm quite a bit of a miser), and secondly, because the stuff inside.. don't look too useful to me =S

there's no way i'd buy that

I think it is a great idea... for the shop. Coz from the customer point of view, I feel it is a too gig risk !

Is there any category ? Or at least, does it go with department ?
Otherwise, you may end up with a bag full of extra cable, a pan, or an ugly T-shirt for a 6-year old boy ^^

lolz at the Fukoubukuro. They didn't even make it an assortment of misfortune :p

I think there will always be people buying Fukubukuro, just like there will always be people buying lotto tickets. It's the same thing, just in a different form.

People, I don't think there would be products in putrefaction or feces in Fukubukuro. Why?
Because what you get as a "consolation prize" is generally crappy and stinky enough compared to the price that you waged (Pun intended). ^^
(This is at least true from what I saw)

Wolfblitz, I agree with you and at least you win something...
The thing is what. lol.

15000 people ? Now that's really something !

日本語で書き込みtest

このサイトはどういったところですか?

i'm sure this would be popular in Singapore, cos Singaporeans love to queue up (sometimes for no apparent reasons) and are avid bargain hunters

I'm not big on surprises...so I don't think that I would like fukubukuro very much.
...but cables do come in handy, so I could reconsider, depending on my level of need.

Was there this weekend. Yeah, sometimes may have one brand-ish products, but the rest is something between "meh" and shite.

I took some on year 07/08 from Sony, but this year don't grab it anything! :(

First heard of fukubukoros on a TV show. It's just too bad it was June when I went to Japan... was still young and dumb (17) at the time, and forgot that Akihabara had turned into an otaku paradise. Still thought it specialized in electronics... what a waste><;

Long line is long X_X

Wouldn't buy one:( If I wanted to get something valuable, I'd just save up until I have the money needed and then buy the item.

i dont really do new years sale shopping, i go to the sales the day after Boxing Day (27th December) and just get all the stuff then :)

wow so many people line up to buy. maybe some one will get lucky.

What an interesting idea, I would totally buy a bag!
I'm a total new years sale junkie though, going after boots and shirts mostly~

I call this.. New Year lottery. Yeaa.

I lol at the fukoubukuro xD

LOL at Fukoubukurou. Goodness at what the guy's gonna do with all these power cables.

Unlike the Fukubukurous, which may vary depending on one's tastes, at least the Bags of Misfortune does exactly what it says on the label. xD

Haha that reminds me of one of the Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Episodes where they make fun of those bags.Im not a big fan of suprises.I prefer to pay more for the stuff i want instead of spending money on things i dont want to have

I broke my limit on spending this year, but not because of new year specifically.

As for actual shopping. All I bought was a large pack of Pocky for 3 bucks.

I always buy things that I needed

I remember seeing this before I signed up here. I also see something similar here as well though there are no high value items stuffed in the bag. That might explain why that one store doesn't have a big lineup...

Was that a bag full of wires?? xddd
I'd love seing someone's face after recieving one of those x3

I never get those bags because they're almost always crap. I also don't buy at New Years because the Christmas Sale is when I shop if I want anything.

By new years I'm broke, so no sales for me.

"but nobody would buy them if they were called "Shite-we-couldnt-get-rid-of-bag." That was so funny Danny.

I'd buy once so i could say I did. Then I'd most likely complain that the contents were a waste of my money.

I haven't gone shopping since the day after Christmas. In fact, I'm still pooped out @_@ My sister is a shopaholic and I had to drive her, my other sister, and my mom around for day after Christmas shopping. Wehhh.

looks like big wonfes for non otaku in japan Lol

I ring in the new year sales with an anime marathon with friends.~

sales were already pretty good before boxing day so it was less of an "event" when the day came....

LMAO at the bag of shit link

Like those "surprise boxes" they used to sell on ebay and were full of crap, hahahahaha!

While a certain population of people are going to try their luck getting expensive items in fukubukuro, there's probably just as many who are doing it for the experience. A very similar case would be woot.com's BoCs that get offered during the woot-offs. It's something to say "I managed to get one!" and may be a sign of good luck for the year to come?