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

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
Tim Cook WWDC 2018

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said. While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's 2026 Mac Plans

Friday November 14, 2025 3:23 pm PST by
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio. MacBook Air (Early 2026) The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...

Top Rated Comments

windowpain Avatar
155 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
155 months ago
Sweet

we really need to have this in N. America
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Solomani Avatar
155 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
155 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
155 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
155 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)