TOKYO, Jan. 3 Japanese shoppers lined up by the thousands outside major department stores once again to buy their annual "fukubukuro," or lucky bags.
The popular Japanese tradition of buying bags filled with unknown items on the first shopping day of the new year played out Wednesday, The Japan Times Online reported Thursday. About 6,700 people stood in the cold outside a Matsuya department store in Tokyo, waiting for the store to open.
One woman told the news agency she had arrived with her family from Chiba Prefecture about 4 p.m. the day before, after doing some online research to determine the outlets where she would shop.
Because each bag's contents are unknown, it's fun to see afterward if the products are worth more or less than the price, she said
"It's like trying my luck," she said.
Some stores have broken tradition by telling shoppers in advance what will be in their bags.
"It feels safer or makes it easier to buy if we know what's in the bag, but I think people do enjoy surprises when they open up the bags," said Yoshiko Sato of Tokyo, who bought several lucky bags.
Copyright 2008 by UPI
