Japanese Apple Stores Again Selling Annual 'Lucky Bags' on January 2

During the new year in Japan, retailers often offer a Fukubukuro, or “mystery bag,“ which is a grab bag filled with a random assortment of products sold at a steep discount.

Apple has participated in this tradition for quite some time, and will once again be offering its "Lucky Bag" in several different Apple Retail Stores across Japan on January 2.

apple_store_lucky_bag_2014
Lucky Bags, which Apple will sell this year for 36,000 yen, or $345, usually contain items like iPods, headphones, and t-shirts. A few fortunate folks, however, have received big-ticket items in past years, like iPads or MacBook Airs, which have made Lucky Bags ultra popular in Japan.

Apple's grab bags are sold as is, and returns are not accepted unless a product is defective. Still, the bags have been quick sellers on previous occasions, with many people lining up the night before to get their hands on a bag.

As with past years, Apple's Lucky Bag promotion is limited to Japanese customers, though other countries, like China, may see the same traditional Apple Store sales during the new year.

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...

Top Rated Comments

windowpain Avatar
157 months ago
Seriously? Buying one of these bags is the true definition of Apple Fanboism. Your'e happy with whatever you get because it's made by Apple? Please...
I wouldn't spend my hard earned cash on the chance I might get something that I want. I know exactly what I want and that's what I'll buy. Talk about dumb.

These 'lucky bags' are used by a great many retailers in Japan, and not just apple. They are very popular, and general speaking the items inside are worth more than what you pay for the bag. Sometimes a lot lot more.

Its a bit of fun, and many people especially teenagers like to spend their new year money (a custom to give money to younger relatives) on a bag full of goodies.

What is dumb about it? No dumber than buying lotto tickets or scratch cards.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeepIn2U Avatar
157 months ago
Sweet

we really need to have this in N. America
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Solomani Avatar
157 months ago
we really need to have this in N. America

It will never happen in America because the lawsuits and greedy lawyers will ruin it. The minute someone gets a grab bag and feels disappointed with its contents, the lawyers will come to their rescue.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Snowshiro Avatar
157 months ago
As long as it contains enough stuff in it to make up the cost, I'd be game (if I lived in Japan)!
Really? Personally, I've never really liked these bags. They're often just an excuse for retailers to get rid of a load of old stock that they haven't been able to sell, on the premise that the value of the contents is higher than the ticket price. But normally these bags cost a lot less than the Apple version, so it's not such a big deal if it contains crap. 36,000 yen is a crazy amount to risk on getting a load of stuff that you may not even be able to use just because there's a tiny tiny change of getting something cool like a MacBook Air. In the past they've often had things like iPhone accessories, docks and other stuff which is worthless if you don't own the relevant device.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrXiro Avatar
157 months ago
Seriously? Buying one of these bags is the true definition of Apple Fanboism. Your'e happy with whatever you get because it's made by Apple? Please...
I wouldn't spend my hard earned cash on the chance I might get something that I want. I know exactly what I want and that's what I'll buy. Talk about dumb.

You must be someone that doesn't understand that other cultures have different customs... It's ok... we'll take it as you being not very cultured yourself. :rolleyes:
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ryox Avatar
157 months ago
I queue'd up at the Osaka Shinsaibashi Applestore last year, got lucky and bagged myself a MBA 11".

I was in the queue for 25 hours in whole.

All the bags were specially designed incase messenger bags, black with red polka dots. They all had mophie juicepack power stations, beats solo HD's, a t-shirt, either an MacBook air 11", iPad with retina display or an iPod nano with some accessories for the main prize you got. In my case a Magic Mouse, special edition cover for the MacBook Air and a sleeve for transportation.

In all about 300 bags were available at Shinsaibashi, but 700+ people turned up. Most of which were told to go home around 9pm. The MBA was the lowest end stock configuration.

I felt it was a bit cheap of them to include a nano of all the iPods.. At least a touch would have been nice for the lowest of the prizes...

They brought us Starbucks coffee around 7am and stores opened around 8. They had all the bags lined up on the Genius Bar counter at the back, and you got to grab one like a lucky dip. All the accessories were in there, and a card folded up, you opened it to reveal the prize. But you could kind of guess what you got because of the accessories you had in the bag already.

Out in the winter cold, on a fold out chair over night... It was tough. I think I was around number 30

Good luck to people going for the overnighter this year, especially the people in Sapporo..
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)