Liz Lisa Fukubukuro 2011

You know how the Japanese shops all have their fukubukuro sale at the end of the year?

Fukubukuro is like a lucky gift pack where merchants pack items from one particular brand/theme in a mystery package.The total value of the items in the package is usually more expensive than the package itself.

Here's a more precise definition from Wikipedia (i love them)

"Fukubukuro (福袋, lucky bag, mystery bag) is a Japanese New Year's Day custom where merchants make grab bags filled with unknown random contents and sell them for a substantial discount, usually 50% or more off the list price of the items contained within. The low prices are usually done to attract customers to shop at that store during the new year. The term is formed from Japanese fuku (福, good fortune/luck) and fukuro (袋, bag). The change of fukuro to bukuro is the phenomenon known as rendaku. Fukubukuro usually are snapped up quickly by eager customers, with some stores having long lines snake around city blocks hours before the store opens on New Year's Day. Formerly, Fukubukuro were an easy way for stores to unload excess and unwanted merchandise from the previous year, due to a Japanese superstition that one must not start the New Year with unwanted trash from the previous year and start clean. Nowadays, Fukubukuro are pushed as a lavish New Year's event rather than a way for stores to get rid of excess merchandise."

But if you manage Liz Lisa then your main selling point is the bags used to package the Fukubukuro! You may not know how the stuff  inside the bags will fit you but you sure as hell will know you're gonna love the bags.

Here's their 2011 Fukubukuro catalogue.

The official website is here.

But some shops already advertise what's in each Fukubukuro (a bit of a cheat) so you know what you're gonna get but you cannot try it beforehand.

Good concept, but if it were me i would never buy clothes without trying it on first.

Here's Cheeserland selling the Fukubukuro luggage bag she got last year.Looks pretty good quality to me.

Here's to all the people in Japan lining up for their Fukubukuro!

HAppy New Year everyone!