Major department stores kicked off their business for 2010 on Saturday, with reasonably priced lucky bags gaining popularity as consumers tightened their belts amid the recession. Mitsukoshi Ltd.'s flagship store in Tokyo's Nihombashi opened at 9:45 a.m., 15 minutes earlier than scheduled, as about 8,000 peopled lined up in front of the store.

Fukubukuro, or "Lucky 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%. Shoppers may get some great deals on the contents of these bags - even if they don't know what exactly they're buying. Japanese Apple Stores have participated since 2005.

Once again, this year, they're offering mystery bags to Japanese Apple Store customers. In the picture above you see the content the lucky ones who could grab one this year found in their bag. Stores sold only a limited number of Lucky Bags for the equivalent of $380US on January 2nd.

But the fun didn't end there. Each store offered workshops on photography, video-making and presentations to kids aged eight to 12-years-old. Adults could also share in the fun too, as a contest was held to find the best New Year's greeting card created on a Mac. All contest participants received small gift too.

The above mentioned Mitsukoshi store prepared a total of 50,000 lucky bags. In particular, a bag worth 10,500 yen, which contains a down coat, a sweater and other items, drew popularity, and most of the 12,000 such bags sold out in the morning, the store said.


"I am usually cutting corners. Reasonable lucky bags with items of good quality are helpful," a 50-year-old housewife from western Japan said. At Takashimaya Co.'s flagship Nihombashi store, some customers lined up before dawn and rushed to buy lucky bags on the food floor after it opened.

The store also started discount sales on winter items, including neck ties and leather goods. "Practical lucky bags and items are very popular," a Takashimaya official said. "Consumers are expected to continue being frugal."

Sogo & Seibu Co. began offering two lucky bags worth 20.1 million yen each that will give the buyers the rights to have robots made to look like them. If more people want to buy the bags, there will be a draw. A female robot wearing a festive kimono was on display at a Sogo department store in the city of Saitama, saying "Happy New Year" to visitors.

Monday wasn't only the first business day of the New Year but also the day to visit Tokyo's Kanda Myojin Shrine which is dedicated to the country's god of business.

Yoshiharu Asanuma, Business Owner said "Financial institutions seem to be gradually recovering, so I have high hopes that the economy may pick up this year. Well, life can be miserable without hope."

Also Tokyo's stock market opened up for the first day of trading of the New Year –with Asian equities helped by optimism that U.S. employment figures later in the week will reflect a sustained economic recovery. (Breitbart)