Harajuku Fukubukuro Pictures 2013 – LaForet, Takeshita Dori, Cat Street & More

New Year’s Day is Fukubukuro sales time in Tokyo. That means shopping districts around the city are packed with people hoping for a chance to score a lucky bag from their favorite brand or store. From the glitz of Ginza and Marunouchi to the hipsters of Shimokitazawa and Koenji to the friendly old folks in Sugamo, Fukubukuro fever is everywhere. But there is one neighborhood with the Fukubukuro most coveted by fashionable young people throughout all of Japan. That place can only be… HARAJUKU!

Kicking off at LaForet at a painfully early 9am on New Year’s Day (we grabbed one hour of sleep between posting our New Year’s Eve video and heading out for Fukubukuro pics), the Fukubukuro sales in Harajuku go on for three or four days. However, the hottest bags are sold out within hours of stores opening on the first day. This means long lines form in front of shops all over Harajuku. And when the doors do open, watch out!

Following our earlier report on Shibuya Fukubukuro, we are happy to share with you the high-energy fun of Harajuku’s New Year’s sales! In addition to countless lucky bags, many stores kick off massive sales where prices are slashed by over 80% on selected items. In our hunt for Harajuku Fukubukuro pictures, we hit the early morning LaForet lines, Takeshita Dori, Cat Street, Meiji Dori, and plenty of small side streets. The only way to truly experience Fukubukuro properly is in person, so please make sure you’re in Harajuku next January 1st at 9am sharp! See you there next year. Happy New Year, everyone!

Harajuku Fukubukuro 2013

Click on any Harajuku Fukubukuro photo to enlarge it.

Looking for even more 2013 Fukubukuro fun? Check out our Shibuya 109 & Shibuya Fukubukuro pictures!