kyburg | It's that time again -

You know what that is. Best day of the year at Marukai is New Year's Day because that means - Fukubukuro Time!

Best grab bags on EARTH. They make 200 of each kind, and you'd better be there on time when they open at 9:00 AM because these things go FAST.

This year? It turns out there are actually three kinds - Food, Non-Food and Non-Food Beauty and I got the honor of buying the Very Last Bag (a Non-Food Beauty) after making it through both lines and getting one of each of the other kinds. Lucky? Oh man.

The gag this year was that I was the only blond hair and blue eyes in line and knew more than anyone else about the program. I just waved my hand in front of my face and proclaimed 'I only look like this.' Everyone laughed - I love my neighborhood.

Let's get this party started.

All of the bags this year were heavy enough to require carrying from beneath - the food bag weighed in at 11 pounds and then the scale gave it up, so no other measurements were taken.

Both the non-food and the non-food beauty bags *each* had five of the hospital-style face masks you're supposed to wear when you're sick (or delinquent). Five of them. Here, have a look at the non-food bag:

I expect to get a good handful of Japanese health items in the non-food bag - they've been the source of much amusement. Believe me, if you want a good look into another culture where women have some significant demands placed on them, all in the name of conforming to a physical ideal...take a look at their cosmetics. But the bag also contained more wee bits of fun and pretty, and I think this is the bag that had the t-shirt in it (more later). Pretty good haul, considering.

The Food Bag?

Inside?

Again, the exchange rate definitely hit again this year - just not as hard. But I do miss the years when the bag of rice was 20 lbs instead of the smaller 5 lbs we got this year. Tons of snacks, which mainly went with me to work - along with the instant noodles.

But then? The 'Beauty' bag - which kind of scared me.

Japanese cosmetics and I have an understanding - I don't have to use them, and they don't get to make fun of me. To their credit, the market put more soaps, shower things and lotions in - but in this special version? Along with the face masks?

No, look a bit closer.

That woman with the huge toothy grin shaving her back just slays me. Gotta love it.

But it wouldn't be a goodie bag without at LEAST one free t-shirt, large enough for me to sleep in, would it? I threw it on the kid, he pronounced it stinky and posed: