100 Yen Shops

100 Yen Budget Shopping:

So you think shopping in Japan is expensive? Think again. It can be quite reasonable, depending on where you do your shopping in Japan. A curious phenomenon in Japan is the 100 Yen Shop. Actually 105 Yen, to be exact, 100 Yen and a 5 yen consumption tax, or a little more than a US dollar, buys you a wide variety of goods. From a smaller one-story shop to a mega, 5-story department store, 100 Yen shops in Japan are the ultimate in budget shopping. At one dollar each, you can almost buy your neighbors and friends all a souvenir from your trip.

100 Yen Shops

Daiso, just a short walk from the Harajuku station, down the Takeshita-dori street and to the left is a large 100 Yen shop, and one of this writer’s favorite stops. Walk into the store and you will see shelves stuffed with a myriad of items to buy. There appears to be no order to the placement of items on the shelves, but that makes it more interesting and forces you to really look and discover interesting items. Items I have purchased include small chopstick rests, ceramic tea cups, sake pouring bottles(tokkuri) and sake sets, salt and pepper shakers, soup bowls, stationary, pens, strapping tape, reading glasses, men’s underwear, toed socks, cute aprons, house slippers, dress shirts, plastic containers, kitchenware, tools, laundry items, unusual Japanese signs, and much more.


Other Daiso shops in Tokyo include a Giga Machida store with 5-stories of items and 71,000 square feet and is located across the Machida station. There are over 2,500 100 Yen shops throughout Japan, with 660 in the Kanto area, 420 in the Kinki area, 210 in the Tohoku area, 220 in the Chugoku area, 150 in Hokkaido, 280 in Kyushu, 170 in the Hokuriku area, 210 in the Tokai area, 130 in the Shikoku area, and 50 in Okinawa. 100 Yen shops are a must see! Besides, you save money too!  Be sure to visit a few as you travel Japan.

For further information on this and other Japan subject, please click here:  http://www.traveljapan-us.com/.