Sendai Hatsu-uri is a traditional event

Sendai Hatsu-uri is a traditional event that takes place at the New Year, which has been continuing more than 300 years ago since Edo period when Sendai was known as ‘Sendai domain.
For shopping streets in Sendai City, the year starts with Hatsu-uri.
Each store prepares its unique lucky bags that are filled with great deals, and people start to wait in line from the very early morning to get them.
Some stores give out free amazake (hot sweet sake) and oshiruko (hot red beans paste soup) to customers who are freezing waiting in the cold, which stimulates festive mood on the New Year.What unique about Sendai Hatsu-uri is a huge wooden tea chest lucky bag. Since tea chest keeps humidity low, people had been using it to dry and store clothes since long time ago.

The tradition was somehow carried over to Sendai Hatsu-uri, and some tea stores in the city sell tea chest lucky bags. You can’t see what’s inside the lucky bag, so it has a meaning of fortune telling for the year. Sendai Hatsu-uri that begins from January 2nd attracts not only Sendai citizens but also shoppers from other prefectures. It is very lively and exciting.
Sendai Hatusu-uri.com
http://www.sendaihatsuuri.com/lang/en/index.html
Sendai Hatsu-uri 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DTGYlDmMI8