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Opening Apple's 'Lucky Bags' in Japan, where $300 can get you a MacBook Air
Happy New Year. And when it comes to shopping in Japan, that means sales and fukubukuro. These "lucky bags" are sold by all kinds of stores, and typically contain products equal in value to what you pay, but sometimes a whole lot more. Even Apple's bricks-and-mortar stores have followed the tradition since 2004, with a handful of bags housing a coveted MacBook Air. All of the bags cost 35,000 yen, roughly $300, but if you're shopping for an Apple laptop, it's a gamble. There's no guarantee what will be inside yours. This year, for the first time, Apple has added a handful of limited edition products for its crowd of dedicated Japanese fans. We visited the store in Ginza, Tokyo, today, which alone (there are three stores in the city) managed to attract 900 people before the store even opened. Let's see what 300 bucks can buy, if you're willing to risk it.
Apple's Lucky Bag sale kicks off in Japan
Last week TUAW covered the annual Japanese New Year's tradition of Fukubukuro or "Lucky Bag," in which merchants sell sealed bags of items at a substantial discount. Apple Stores are participating today (January 2, 2013) with bags selling for ¥33,000 (US$380). So what was in the bags this year? Former TUAW blogger Rick Martin writes for TechInAsia and The Japan Times, and he says that some of the more lucky participants actually came away from their favorite Apple Store with a lot more than $380 worth of goodies. Japanese blogger @Kazuend did some quick math and figured that his bag was worth about ¥95,000 ($1,100). He was able to get everything from a Lightning USB Camera Adapter ($33) to a 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad ($450) with several other accessories thrown in for good measure. That's @Kazuend's pile of goodness seen in the photo at the top of this page. Some of the luckiest Lucky Bags contained a MacBook Air. There's a summary of some of the swag on this Japanese site, with @Ryowxyz stating that the "jackpot was hit" with his Lucky Bag for 2013. He stayed in line for 16 hours at the Shinsaibashi store, and received the 45th Lucky Bag sold at the site.
"Lucky Bags" will return to Japan's Apple Stores
Fukubukuro, or "Mystery Bag," is a Japanese New Year's Day tradition during which merchants sell sealed bags of various items at a substantial discount, often as high as 50 percent. Apple Stores will participate once again on January 2, 2013. The bags will sell for US$390. In previous years, lucky customers have walked away with iPods, speakers, T-shirts and calendars. If you pick one up in January, please let us know. Customers have been known to camp out the night before, so get there early.
Apple lovers in Japan camp out for 'Lucky Bag' sale
Retailers in Japan have a New Year shopping tradition of selling "lucky bags," which contain an assortment of items whose value typically exceeds the price you pay for the bag. To the delight of many Apple fanboys here in Tokyo, "lucky bags" are also sold at the Apple store. But at 30,000 yen (about $370), they don't come cheap. Even at that price, demand is sky-high, and only the most dedicated of Apple fans can get them. Shoppers typically start lining up the day before the lucky bags go on sale, because every year at least a couple of people hit the jackpot and get a MacBook in their bag. From those who braved the cold overnight, here's a summary of what most are saying they found in their respective bags. I haven't seen any reports of MacBooks yet: Sennheiser earphones, smart remote with mic (iPod, iPhone, iPad) Mophie Juice Pack reserve iWires 3.5mm to 3.5mm stereo plug retractable cable iPod nano OR iPod touch Griffin Slap case for iPod nano Nike+ sensor iHome speaker system for iPhone/iPod red limited edition Apple T-shirt (view at end of video) This is all according to early reports from an assortment of shoppers. Check out Guttyo Blog's picture of the bag plus contents all spread out on a table (above).
