What Is a Fukubukuro?

Whether you call it a lucky bag or a fukubukuro, this beloved Japanese New Year tradition gives shoppers the chance to score amazing bargains and limited-edition merchandise from some of Japan’s most popular brands and retailers. Sold only around the end of the year and the New Year period, fukubukuro are surprise-filled bags or mystery boxes that combine deep discounts with the thrill of not knowing exactly what’s inside, making them one of Japan’s most exciting seasonal shopping experiences.

While mystery boxes have become something of a social media trend in recent years, Japan’s fukubukuro (福袋) culture has been part of New Year’s celebrations for as early as the Edo period (1603-1868). Starting the year with unsold inventory is considered unlucky in Japan, so early merchants came up with fukubukuro as a clever solution, clearing leftover stock by selling discounted bundles of whatever was left from the year! While the practice itself is centuries old, the term fukubukuro (often translated as “lucky bag” or “happy bag”) became widely standardized about a hundred years ago.

Today, businesses across Japan fully embrace fukubukuro season due to its practicality and the opportunity to attract extra attention. Many stick to the classic formula, selling opaque bags or boxes packed with clothing, cosmetics, home goods, or gourmet treats at steeply discounted prices, like a mystery clearance sale. Others create exclusive, limited-edition merchandise just for their New Year’s lucky bags – a strategy often used by cafes and other businesses without excess stock – sometimes even revealing the contents in advance to attract shoppers. Whether you prefer a true surprise or a carefully curated set, trying a fukubukuro is a fun and uniquely Japanese way to start the New Year. Check out some of the Japankuru team’s top picks for this year.

① Seven Eleven

A fukubukuro from a convenience store? That’s right, Seven Eleven’s 2026 fukubukuro is full of fun novelties for anyone who loves a good Japanese conbini, as well as some practical vouchers for everyday use, all for 3,630 yen. Some of the most notable items for Seven-lovers are the little magnet-backed kitchen timer shaped like a Seven Eleven storefront, and the branded rubber coaster, complete with a little 7/11 coffee cup charm. The bag also includes one of three small hand towels, actually a surprising collab designed together with the stylish Kyoto brand Sou・Sou, and two of what they call “New Year’s Plates” featuring a playful Year of the Horse zodiac motif. Of course, the fukubukuro is rounded out with digital coupons worth nearly the full purchase price, for smoothies, onigiri, 7/11-brand sweets, and sandwich products. If you do get a Seven Eleven lucky bag, keep an eye out for an extra 500-yen 7/11 gift card, included in 1 out of every 10 lucky bags.

→ Find details on the official website.

② Sanrio

Sanrio’s 2026 fukubukuro returns with seven character-specific editions, focused on fan-favorites like Hello Kitty, My Melody, Cinnamoroll, and Kuromi. Each 4,990 set centers on an exclusive themed tote bag filled with a few random Sanrio products and, most importantly, five coordinated character items: both a big and a little zodiac-themed plush (the smaller one inside a cute horse costume), a drawstring pouch, super fuzzy socks, and a Sanrio bath towel. Sold by reservation through Sanrio shops and online, the bags offer Sanrio fans a lot to love, and a fun way to enter the Year of the Horse!

→ Find details on the official website.

③ Saint Marc Cafe

Saint Marc Cafe’s 2026 fukubukuro lineup centers on its signature chocolate croissant, the “Chococro,” offering four variations with a mix of themed merchandise, food, and vouchers. The star of the show is a lucky bag with an insulated tumbler crowned with a cute Chococro charm, a fuzzy embroidered pouch, and 6,000 yen worth of product vouchers, all for 5,000 yen. If you’re a regular at this Japanese chain, it’s an unbeatable deal. For fans who don’t want to spend quite so much on drinks and croissants, there are 2,000~3,000 yen options with boxes of fresh Chococro, special “Chococro tickets,” or jars of yuzu tea drink mix, each paired with vouchers for a total value higher than the fukubukuro price.

→ Find details on the official website.

④ WEGO

Getting to focus on your “oshi” (your favorite, your bias, whatever you want to call it) is a fun part of immersing yourself in Japanese culture, and WEGO’s 2026 “Itabag Kirakira Happy Pack” makes it easy to set yourself up in style as a serious fan – in one of five colors. Built around Japan’s culture of displaying your favorite characters and idols through your accessories even as you go through daily life, this 9,999-yen bundle includes four color-coordinating items: one purse-style ita bag, one larger quilted tote ita bag, a small shoulder bag sized for oshi stuffed toys, and a bag-shaped charm designed to hold pin badges. These bags are only available through this special fukubukuro set, so if you want to be the most stylish otaku on the block with ita bags nobody else is carrying, this is the fukubukuro for you.

→ Find details via the WEGO press release.

⑤ Mister Donut

For years Mister Donut has partnered with Pokemon for their lucky bags, but this year they’ve separated the two promotional campaigns, and the popular Japanese donut chain is using their 2026 fukubukuro to mark their 55th anniversary! There are two options, one featuring their cute “Pon de Lion” mascot on a mini-tote and handtowel (as well as a little kit with a chocolate pen to decorate donuts!) priced at 3,800 yen, and another with a mix of items decorated using retro illustrations from the late Osamu Harada, as well as a perfectly face-sized Pon de Ring donut-shaped stuffed toy, all for 6,500 yen. Both bags also include donut vouchers (for 20 or 35 donuts respectively), as well as entry into a sweepstakes with unique prizes like a Mister Donut museum tour, a cute Osamu Harada mug, or more free donuts!

→ Find details on the official website.

⑥ Sunshine Aquarium

Tokyo’s Sunshine Aquarium stands out among the many nationwide chains offering 2026 fukubukuro, and their offerings are unique too: cute aquarium merch, access to ultra-rare behind-the-scenes experiences, and even gifts from the aquarium animals themselves! Available in very limited numbers, these unique lucky bags include stuffed toys and other fun aquarium-themed merchandise, but that’s just the beginning. If you manage to snag one of 110 Casual Packs available for 11,000 yen, then you’ll also receive a “dropped gift” from one of the animals living at Sunshine Aquarium, like a naturally shed ray tooth or a penguin feather. If you go all out, spend the 25,000 yen, and manage to purchase one of the 10 Special Packs, then you’ll also get a chance to join in on one of six unusual staff-led experiences, like restricted-area tours, hands-on keeper activities, or even private aquarium time. For aquarium fans, this is a totally unique opportunity – if you’re lucky enough to get a lucky bag, at least!

→ Find details via the aquarium press release.

⑦ Mos Burger

Sanrio doesn’t just release their own fukubukuro every year, they also partner with an impressive number of different brands to offer collab lucky bags, and in 2026 that includes the popular Japanese fast food chain Mos Burger! Featuring My Melody and Kuromi in a wickedly adorable pink and green color scheme, this 5,000 yen fukubukuro includes the full 5,000 yen worth of Mos Burger vouchers along with a selection of Sanrio character goods. Choose a reusable shopping bag inside a cute plush pouch shaped like either a My Melody or Kuromi, along with two melamine plates, and a little satin zippered pouch. Whether you’re a big fan of Mos Burger’s food or you’re just after the cute characters, the fukubukuro’s a good deal, and it all comes in a cute Sanrio-themed drawstring pouch.

→ Find details on the official website.