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Starbucks Japan saves the best for last in our fukubukuro lucky bag haul

Oona McGee Jan 10, 2025
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We finally have a winner.

Proverbs have a lot to teach us, and one in Japan that’s particularly apt for this time of year is “Nokori mono ni wa fuku ga aru“, which means, “There’s good fortune in leftovers“.

Our reporter K. Masami experienced the depth of this proverb firsthand at the beginning of the year, when she received her Starbucks lucky bag or “fukubukuro” as these New Year’s bargain grab bags are known in Japanese. Only winners of a lottery were able to purchase the 8,800-yen (US$55.80) lucky bag, and to give you an idea of how hard it was to get, only four other reporters out of 20 on our team were successful.

Unlike these four reporters, who shared their hauls with us, Masami had planned on keeping her bag private as she wasn’t working over New Year’s. However, what she received turned out to be too good not to share, so she got to work documenting her haul, making everyone in the office green with envy in the process.

Before we get into the details, though, let’s take a look at what our four reporters received in their lucky bags.

▼ Bag Number One

▼ Bag Number Two

▼ Bag Number Three

▼ Bag Number Four

As you can see, there were a number of products that were the same across the board, and Masami received these products too.

▼ The Bag-in-Bag

▼ The 250-gram (8.8-ounce) pack of Pike Place Roast ground coffee

▼ Seven drink tickets, which can each be exchanged for a beverage priced up to 700 yen for dine-in or 687 yen for takeout.

That’s where the similarities end, though, as Masami was lucky to receive two tumblers that were unlike any we’d seen before.

▼ Lucky Bag Limited Stainless Steel Bottle B (355 millilitres)

Out of all our reporters, Masami was the only one to receive this B-style bottle, with everyone else receiving the A type.

▼ Both styles have their benefits, though, as the A type is easier to clean while B is easier to use on the go.

Masami also received the Sakura 2024 Sequins Cold Cup Tumbler, which glistened beautifully in the light.

While it looked gorgeous, the best thing about this cup is its capacity, as it can hold up to 651 millilitres (22 ounces) of liquid. With Starbucks’ largest Venti size being 590 millilitres, this tumbler has plenty of room to accommodate the chain’s biggest drinks.

▼ Finally, Masami received what may be the coolest product of all — a Starbucks rug!

Nobody on the team had ever seen anything like this before, but the tag on the side confirmed it was an official Starbucks product.

The rug, which features an image of a Starbucks coffee, measures 32 centimetres (12.6 inches) across, making it an ideal seat cushion.

▼ Masami had other ideas for its use, though.

▼ Popping it into her cat’s woven basket, the rug made the hidey hole even cosier for her precious fur baby.

Masami’s cat had the most comfortable sleep ever, so both she and her kitty were thankful for the rug. As for Masami’s personal favourite item in the bag, though, she just couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sparkly tumbler.

Masami’s haul put everyone else’s to shame, but as the team’s resident Starbucks expert who tried every new Frappuccino on the menu last year, it seemed right for her to receive the best goods. It was also a fitting reminder that there really is good fortune in leftovers, because although she might’ve been the last to receive her bag and report on it, it turned out to be the luckiest bag of all!

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[ Read in Japanese ]