A 100-yen shop, as the name suggests, sells most of the commodities at a flat rate of 100 yen excluding tax. It is also called “hyakkin,” as an abbreviation of “hyakuen kin’itsu,” which means “all 100 yen.” They sell a wide variety of products, from stationery and clothing items to small home appliance products, so it is not too much to say that you can get everything you need for your daily life.
The best part of a 100-yen shop is of course the price. Once you step in the shop, you will be surprised to see things you didn’t expect to be able to buy only for 100 yen. As the price is a nice round number, you can figure out easily how much you have put in your basket. In other countries, there are dollar shops under a similar concept.
As of 2023, there are reportedly about 9,000 hyakkin shops all over Japan, which is equivalent to the number of train stations in Japan. That tells you how closely 100-yen shops are related to people’s lives in Japan.
What you can buy at a 100-yen shop
The basic items you can find at most 100-yen shops include kitchen items, such as plates and pots, accessories, cosmetics, and stationery products, such as notebooks and pens, as well as baskets and tote bags for storing such small items. At some stores, you may find many other kinds of products, including clothing items, such as T-shirts, and educational toys for children.
You can find mobile gadgets, such as extension cords, cables, and batteries, which may be useful during your trip.
Be careful that some 100-yen shops sell non-100-yen items, which are sold for 200 yen, 500 yen, etc. For those non-100-yen items, there should be a price clearly indicated on items, such as with a big tag, so make sure to check such indications.
Another appealing point of 100-yen shops is that they change commodities so frequently that you can find new things whenever you visit. Some 100-yen shop chain companies say that they put out as many as 1,200 new items every month, so you can enjoy shopping as if it is the first time to be there every time you go.
However, this also means that you may not be able to find the same products again later, so it is better that if you find anything interesting you should get it without hesitation.
DAISO
The biggest 100-yen shop chain DAISO features the largest product lineup, carrying as many as 76,000 products. My motto is “the first place to go to after moving is DAISO.” Right after moving, you will find something missing unexpectedly, so DAISO carrying so many products at a reasonable price will be a big help to you. There are more than 4,000 DAISO stores all over Japan, meaning that you can find it in any city. (The number as of 2022).
＊DAISO Marronnier Gate Ginza store (It is a global flagship shop. There are also 300-yen shop of the DAISO group on the same floor.)
Address: Marronnier Gate Ginza 2/ 6F, 3-2-1 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo
Access: 4-min walk from Yurakucho Sta. (JR Yamanote Line); 3-min walk from Exit C8 of Ginza Sta. (Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, Ginza Line, Hibiya Line); 2-min walk from Exit 4 of Ginza-itchome Sta. (Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line)
Business hours: 11:00–21:00
Open365 days
＊Osaka Umeda store (The biggest DAISO store in the Kansai Area features a huge product lineup.)
Address: ABC-MART Umeda Bldg B1&B2 F, 1-27 Chaya-machi, Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
Access: 1-min walk from Umeda Sta. (Hankyu); 5-min walk from Osaka Sta. (JR); 7-min walk from Umeda Sta. (Subway Midosuji Line)
Business hours: 10:00–21:00
Open365 days
Seria
Seria features a bright store appearance based on white and green. It is characterized by carrying many products with sophisticated designs, such as miscellaneous goods with simple and natural designs, as well as housewares. Seria sells a full lineup of products for baking and DIY, so it is recommended for people who want to enjoy staying at home doing something creative.
Another main feature of Seria is that they only sell 100-yen products. Without higher-priced products in a shop, you can enjoy shopping without thinking about your budget. One more thing you should know is that Seria doesn’t have many stores that carry food products and beverages, except for food items for baking.
＊Seria Rinku Seacle store (It is located near the Kansai International Airport. Enjoy the time until your flight.)
Address: Rinku Pleasure Town Seacle 1F, 3 Orai-minami, Rinku, Izumisano City, Osaka Prefecture
Access: Directly connected to Rinku-Town Sta. (JR Kansai Airport Line, Nankai Airport Line)
Business hours: 10:00–20:00
Open365 days
＊Seria Kawaramachi OPA store (A large-scale store located near a station in an entertainment district of Kyoto)
住所：Address: Kawaramachi OPA 7F, Shijo Agaru, Kawaramachi-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
Access: 1-min walk from Exit 3 of Kyoto Kawaramachi Sta. (Hankyu); 15-min walk from Shijo Sta. (Subway Karasuma Line); 5-min walk from Exit 4 of Gion-shijo Sta. (Keihan); right at “Shijo-Kawaramachi” stop on Kyoto City Bus
Business hours: 11:00–21:00
Open 365 days
Can★Do
The corporate color of Can★Do is orange, which gives you a pop impression. The product lineup has a good balance of standard housewares. It gives an impression that it is a select shop only carrying carefully-selected useful items. So, if you don’t have much time and/or you know what you want, this store is great because it lets you shop without wandering around in the store.
＊Can★Do Seibu Shinjuku PePe store (A large-scale store directly connected to the station, looking down on Kabukicho)
Address: 8F, 1-30-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo
Access: Directly connected to Seibu-Shinjuku Sta. (Seibu Shinjuku Line); 2-min walk from Shinjuku-nishiguchi Sta. (Subway Oedo Line); 5-min walk from Shinjuku Sta. (various lines)
Business hours: 11:00–21:30
Regular holiday： No fixed holiday
You can actually enjoy 100-yen shops in Japan just by browsing around in a shop because of their large selection of goods. You should come across a 100-yen shop at least once wherever you go in Japan. Some 100-yen shops are located in a large-scale commercial facility, such as Aeon. So, if you go shopping at such facilities, you can also drop by a 100-yen shop there. It is worth trying!
※The total number of 100-yen shops in Japan was from the data by Teikoku Data Bank Ltd., and the total number of train stations in Japan was from the data by Japan Geographic Data Center.
My hobby is to find delicious dishes and recreate them at home. When I am on a shopping hunt for kitchen tools at Kappabashi Kitchenware Town, the time goes by so quickly. I also like football, so I cook while watching a live J-league game on weekends when I stay home. It is my routine to search for good-looking foreign football players. I am from Nagoya.
