The “Halloween Garapon Lottery” of the Palaceside Building Meitenkai (Yukimasa Shimada, chair), a volunteer group of restaurants and shops, began on the 29th. Draws run for three days through the 31st, twice daily: midday (11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.) and evening (5:00–7:00 p.m.). From the first midday session, a first-prize hair dryer and the Mainichi Building Co. prize (a 100,000-yen travel voucher) were already won, and cheers rose with the jackpot bell.
This month the Meitenkai has been giving customers at member shops one lottery ticket for every 2,500 yen spent and one bonus ticket for every 500 yen (five bonus tickets equal one draw). First prize is three popular hair dryers; second, three hot plates; third, 30 food catalog gifts; plus disaster-preparedness goods, bath salts, meal vouchers, and more. The Mainichi Newspapers provided five pair tickets to “Haniwa and Dogu in the Modern Age” at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; Mainichi Building Co. provided three travel vouchers worth 100,000 yen each.
There are about 680 prizes, plus 5,000 participation gifts that will end when they run out—so come early if you plan to draw. You too may take home a lavish prize.