Hatsu-uri literally means “first sale”, and is one of many Japanese ‘first-of-the-year’ traditions, which range from hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year, to hatsuhinode, the first sunrise of the year. Hatsu-uri is just as eagerly anticipated – especially by many women! Like a less aggressive Black Friday, shops all around Japan put everything on sale – some items at jaw-dropping prices. Swarms of eager bargain-hunters crowd shopping malls and department stores, and it’s common to see long queues of people waiting outside before the stores have opened to try and get their hands on popular items, but the wait is half the fun!
Department stores opening on the first day of the New Year is glamorous news to start the year. In recent years, due to the pandemic and changing work styles, most department stores open on January 2, while shopping centers begin operations on New Year’s Day.
As part of the hatsu-uri tradition, fukubukuro – so-called “good fortune bags” – can be purchased from most shops. This custom is said to date back to the Meiji era, and has its origin in the bag that Daikokuten (one of the seven gods of happiness) carries on his back. The contents of these bags are usually unannounced and unknown to the shoppers. Not knowing what might be in the bags is part of the thrill! The bags are often packed with items from the previous year’s stock and could include clothing, makeup items, electrical goods, and so on. If you’re still not convinced, imagine getting a brand new mystery wardrobe for the price of one item in the bag. Recently, department stores have been selling luxury fukubukuro filled with products worth millions of yen. Stores and brands are putting together new types of fukubukuro all the time, so there’s a huge range to choose from!
Fukuoka Now’s guide to New Year’s sales and fukubukuro provides you with information about the best places to find good bargains around the city. Find out the dates of the New Year sales taking place at major shopping facilities as well as information about the campaigns and products available. Our list of stores selling fukubukuro provides a little insight into what you can expect to find inside the bags, but be sure to check the official website of each facility for the latest news and updates. With so many great deals, shopping during the New Year sales will surely be a lot of fun!
A few tips for getting your desired fukubukuro:
• Find out if you need a maeuriken (advance ticket) to enter your favorite shop. Some shops have this system, some don’t.
• Get to the shop before it opens! There’s usually a line leading to popular stores, with a shop assistant holding a sign directing you to the end of the line. (In previous years, people have waited from midnight outside popular stores like Apple and Yodobashi Camera.)
• Listen for announcements by staff members relating to your fukubukuro.
• After you have purchased your fukubukuro, if there are items that you don’t fancy, stick around the shop to see if there are any fellow fukubukuro buyers who are willing to swap some of the contents.
Hakata Area *() – Date of Hatsuuri (first sale)
• JR Hakata City (Jan. 2)
• Hakata Hankyu (Jan. 2)
• Ming (Jan. 2)
• Hakata Marui (Jan. 2)
• Canal City Hakata (Jan. 1)
• Hakata Riverain Mall (Jan. 2)
• LaLaport Fukuoka (Jan. 1)
• Youme Town Hakata (Jan. 1)
Tenjin Area
• Iwataya, Mitsukoshi (Jan. 2)
• Solaria Plaza (Jan. 2)
• Fukuoka Parco (Jan. 2)
• VIORO (Jan. 2)
• Daimaru Fukuoka Tenjin (Jan. 2)
• Tenjin Loft (Jan. 1)
• Tenjin Chikagai (Jan. 2)
Momochi Area
• Mark Is Fukuoka Momochi (Jan. 1)
• Praliva (Jan. 2)
Nishi-ku, Fukuoka City Area
• Marinoa City Fukuoka (Jan. 1)
Hakata Area
JR Hakata City, AMU Plaza and AMU EST
1-1 Hakataeki-chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
https://www.jrhakatacity.com/2023winterbargain/
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~18:00 *varies by shop / section
• Hatsuuri: 1/2 (Mon.) 9:00~20:00
• Fukubukuro: available
• Sale period: 1/2 (Mon.) ~1/9 (Mon.,hol.)
• Discount rate: varies by shop / section
Hakata Hankyu
1-1 Hakataeki-chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
http://www.hankyu-dept.co.jp/hakata/fl/english/
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~18:00 (basement floor: 9:30~)
• Hatsuuri: 1/2 (Mon.) 9:00~20:00 *closing time may be earlier depending on congestion
• Fukubukuro: available
• Sale period: 12/26 (Mon.) ~1/10 (Tue.)
Hakata Ming
1-1 Hakataeki-chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
https://ming.or.jp/new_year/
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 9:00~19:00
• Hatsuuri: 1/2 (Mon.) 9:00~
• Fukubukuro available
• Sale period: 1/2 (Sun.) ~ *varies by shop / section
• Discount rate: varies by shop / section
Hakata Marui
9-1 Hakataeki-chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
https://www.0101.co.jp/090/
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~21:00
• Hatsuuri: 1/2 (Mon.) 10:00~21:00
• Fukubukuro available
• Sale period: 1/2 (Mon.)~ *varies by shop / section
• Discount rate: varies by shop / section
Canal City Hakata
1-2 Sumiyoshi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
https://canalcity.co.jp/english
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~19:00 (restaurant floor: 11:00~21:00)
• Hatsuuri: 1/1 (Sun., hol.) 10:00~21:00 (restaurant floor: 11:00~23:00)
• Fukubukuro available
• Sale period: 1/1 (Sun., hol.) ~1/9 (Mon., hol.)
• Discount rate: up to 50% off
Hakata Riverain Mall by Takashimaya
3-1 Shimokawabatamachi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
http://www.hakata-riverainmall.jp
• Year-end: 12/30 (Fri.) 10:00~19:00
• Hatsuuri: 1/2 (Mon.) 10:00~
• Fukubukuro available
• Sale period: 1/2 (Mon.) ~
• Discount rate: 50%~10% off *varies by shop / section
LaLaport Fukuoka
6-23-1 Naka, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
https://mitsui-shopping-park.com/lalaport/fukuoka/
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~19:00 (restaurant, food court: 11:00~19:00)
• Hatsuuri: 1/1 (Sun., hol.) 10:00~20:00 (restaurant, food court: 11:00~20:00)
• Fukubukuro: available
• Sale period: 1/1 (Sun., hol.) ~ 1/10 (Tue.)
• Discount rate: up to 70% off
Youme Town Hakata
1-1-1 Higashihama, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka
https://www.izumi.jp/tenpo/hakata/info
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 9:00~21:00 *varies by shop / section
• Hatsuuri: 1/1 (Sun., hol.) 9:00~21:00 *varies by shop / section
• Fukubukuro: available
• Sale period: 1/1 (Sun., hol.) ~ 1/4 (Wed.) *varies by shop / section
• Discount rate: varies by shop / section
Tenjin Area
Iwataya Main Store, Fukuoka Mitsukoshi
Iwataya Main Store
2-5-35 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
http://www.iwataya-mitsukoshi.mistore.jp/iwataya.html
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~18:00 (grocery floor: open at 9:30)
• Hatsuuri: 1/2 (Mon.) 9:00~19:00
• Fukubukuro available
• Sale period: 1/2 (Mon.) ~
Fukuoka Mitsukoshi
2-1-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
http://www.m.iwataya-mitsukoshi.co.jp
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~18:00 (grocery floor: open at 9:30)
• Hatsuuri: 1/2 (Mon.) 9:00~19:00
• Fukubukuro available
• Sale period: 1/2 (Mon.) ~
Solaria Plaza
2-2-43 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
http://www.solariaplaza.com/
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~17:00
• Hatsuuri: 1/2 (Mon.) 9:00~
• Fukubukuro available
• Sale period: 1/2 (Mon) ~ 1/31 (Tue.)
• Discount rate: up to 80% off
Fukuoka Parco
2-11-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
https://fukuoka.parco.jp/
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~18:00
• Hatsuuri: 1/2 (Mon.) 9:00~
• Fukubukuro available
• Sale period: 1/2 (Mon.) ~ 1/15 (Sun.)
• Discount rate: varies by shop / section
VIORO
2-10-3 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
http://vioro.jp/
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~18:00
• Hatsuuri: 1/2 (Mon.) 9:00~20:00
• Fukubukuro available
• Sale period: 1/2 (Mon.) ~ 1/31 (Tue.)
• Discount rate: varies by shop / section
Daimaru Fukuoka Tenjin
1-4-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
https://www.daimaru.co.jp/fukuoka/
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 9:30~18:00
• Hatsuuri: 1/2 (Mon.) 9:00~19:00 (restaurant floor: 10:30~20:00)
• Fukubukuro available
• Sale period: 1/2 (Mon.) 9:00~
• Discount rate: varies by shop / section
Loft
1~6F Tenjin Loft Building, 4-9-25 Watanabedori, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
https://www.loft.co.jp/shop_list/detail.php?shop_id=29
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~18:00
• Hatsuuri: 1/1 (Sun, hol.) 10:00~18:00
Tenjin Chikagai
2 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
http://www.tenchika.com/
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~18:00
• Hatsuuri: 1/2 (Mon.) 9:00~
Momochi Area
Mark Is Fukuoka Momochi
2-2-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
https://www.mec-markis.jp/fukuoka-momochi/
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~18:00
• Hatsuuri: 1/1 (Sun, hol.) 10:00~18:00
• Fukubukuro available
• Sale period: 1/1 (Sun., hol.) ~ 1/31 (Tue.)
• Discount rate: up to 70% off
PRALIVA
4-1-1 Nishijin, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka
https://praliva.jp/
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~18:00
• Hatsuuri: 1/2 (Mon.) 10:00~20:00
• Fukubukuro available
• Sale period: 1/2 (Mon.) ~ 1/9 (Mon., hol.)
• Discount rate: up to 50~10% off *varies by shop / section
Nishi-ku, Fukuoka Area
Marinoa City Fukuoka
2-12-30 Odo, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka
http://www.marinoacity.com/
• Year-end: 12/31 (Sat.) 10:00~19:00 (restaurant floor: 11:00~19:00)
• Hatsuuri: 1/1 (Sun, hol.) 9:30~20:00 (restaurant floor: 11:00~21:00)
• Fukubukuro available
• Sale period: 1/1 (Sat., hol.) ~ 1/22 (Sun.)
• Discount rate: up to 80% off
NOTE: The information presented here was gathered and summarized by the Fukuoka Now staff. While we have done our best to check for accuracy, there might be errors and details may have changed. If you notice any errors or changes, please contact us. This report was updated in Dec. 2022.
