Department stores in Japan are preparing "lucky bags" for the New Year's shopping season around the themes of family bonds, power-saving and emergency supplies in response to the 11 March catastrophe.

Mitsukoshi's main store in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district has scrapped its practice of charging a uniform JPY10,500 (USD135) per bag of clothing items, and this year hopes to sell about 80,000 bags ranging from JPY10,000 to JPY30,000. It is also doing away with its special lucky bag sales area.