Fukubukuro (Lucky Bags) 2023 @ JFT Library

*All the Fukubukuro bags are gone as of Thursday, January 12. Thank you to all those who participated!

For those who are curious about what items were included in all the Fukubukuro bags, check out the list of items inside the bags here. We hope you enjoyed experiencing a Japanese New Year custom and that this has helped you discover new favourite authors, amazing film titles, and interesting topics to explore that you never knew existed!

*Search the Library’s Online Catalogue to see if the items are currently available to borrow or place hold.

Please continue to check the JFT’s website or newsletter for future event information.

Starting Thursday, January 5th, 2023, visitors to JFT’s Library can grab a Fukubukuro (福袋), or lucky bag, containing secret selections of books and/or audiovisual materials from the Library. Enjoy serendipitous discovery from a curated selection of novels, manga, DVD/BR, and more books about Japan or by Japanese authors!

What is Fukubukuro (福袋)?

Fukubukuro (福袋, “lucky bag”) is a Japanese New Year custom where people buy a mysterious sealed bags that are sold for a set price during the New Year period. Many shops, businesses and department stores take part in this tradition and the sales begin on the first business day of the New Year. They typically contain products centred around a specific theme. Usually, the bags are sold at a substantial discount and much less expensive than if you were to buy each item in the bag separately. The Fukubukuro is a very popular, thrilling and highly anticipated event and people often even line up for hours to get the bags.

The term “fuku” (福) means “good fortune” or “luck”, and “fukuro” (袋) – conjugated into “bukuro” – means “bag”.

*The items in the JFT Library version of Fukubukuro are not for sales, and must be returned to the Library by the due date.

How to participate in the Fukubukuro event

*Please note the Fukubukuro event ends when the bags run out or on Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 at 4:30 pm (whichever is faster).

1. Get or renew JFT Library Card 
・You need to have a valid JFT Library card to receive a Fukubukuro bag.
・To apply for a new library card or renew your expired card, please fill in our Library Card Application Form online and show your photo ID along with proof of address at the Library counter. Please note the library card is valid for one year and need to be renewed with valid ID.

2. Grab a Fukubukuro bag and check it out at the Library Counter
・Visit the JFT Library during the Library’s opening hours in January and grab a bag from the Fukubukuro table. *One bag maximum per library cardholder
・Each bag contains 3 to 4 items. Please note those items will be counted toward the maximum number of items that can be checked out from the Library, which is 15 total items (a 5-item limit for periodicals and audiovisual materials).

3. Enjoy serendipitous discovery & share your thoughts!
・Take the Fukubukuro bag home and enjoy discovering what’s inside!
・If you are an active social media user, feel free to post about the items in the bag and the Fukubukuro experience using the hashtag #JFTLibrary

*We would really appreciate it if you could participate in our questionnaire. Your feedback is important to us and will help us organize more events in the future.

4. Return the items by the due date
・ The items in the bag are for loan and must be returned to the Library within a 3-week loan period (may be renewed once for another 3 weeks if there are no holds pending). You can keep the bag (JFT cotton bag) for yourself.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to email us. New members are always welcome!