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Rick Martin · · 2 min read

‘Lucky Bags’ a Popular Apple Store Tradition in Japan

lucky-bag-graphic

Apple Japan New Year promo graphic

In Japan, ‘lucky bags’ are a New Year’s Day shopping tradition that offers up a mystery bag of items usually at a discounted price. And perhaps one of the most sought-after lucky bags comes from the country’s Apple Stores.

I always considered myself a pretty big Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) fan, but this event seems to bring out the most hard-core fanboys. Back in 2010 I tried to queue for a lucky bag, arriving at the store at 5am only to find that overnight campers had filled all the spots. This year the bag cost 33000 yen (about $430), and most customers are hoping that there will be a big ticket item inside like an iPad 2 or a Macbook Air.

The folks over at App Bank and Ringo-Sanco have blogged about the event, with pics showing the long queues as well as the surprise contents that were found in some of the lucky bags. I’ve posted a few of their pics below, but I encourage you visit their sites (Japanese) to view more.

lucky bag app bank

App Bank: iPod touch 8GB, Porter Bag, iPod touch case, iZon remote room monitor, incase Reflex, Mophie Juice Pack reserve, Apple T-Shirt, Assorted pins

apple-lucky-bag-lineup-app-bank

Photo via App Bank

ringo-sanco

Photo: ringo-sanco

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Rick Martin

Rick Martin lives in Tokyo where he writes about technology in Japan, China, and around Asia. After writing full-time for TechInAsia from 2011 to January 2013, he moved on to pastures new at The Bridge. He can be reached via his website, 1Rick.com