Weather it’s that bite-size chocolate bar to satisfy an unusual craving, or a cheap roll of household or school supplies to help you when you just ran out, nothing beats the bargain, variety and convenience a single-bill shop, where all items cost the equivalent of $1 USD or less.

Japan is no different, as 100-yen shops are a staple of the country, and are great places to pick up those daily necessities or even a neat souvenir for your friends and family back home, all with decent quality. With some mega stores featuring as many as six floors full of 1-coin deals, we think you will be amazed at what you’ll find in a 100-yen shop, and these are the best places to find those amazing items at an even more amazing price.

Daiso: Japan’s Largest 100-Yen Chain Store

Of all the 100-yen shops in Japan, Daiso’s pink and white signs are probably the most prominent. As the largest 100-yen chain store in Japan with over 2,900 shops in Japan, Daiso’s presence extends far beyond the country, with over 1,000 shops located overseas.

Depending on the size of the shop, you will find a wide range of items from Daiso. Smaller stores will carry essential items such as food and drink, as well as stationery and kitchen supplies. Larger shops, such as the seven-floor Daiso Giga Funabashi might carry items like clothing or gardening supplies, and pretty much anything else you could possibly imagine.

Any interesting note, Daiso’s best-selling item is batteries, with over a hundred million sold every year!

Seria: A Fancier 100-Yen Shop

Image Source: Mirai Nagasaki Co.,Ltd.

When walking into a Seria, it may be a little difficult to believe that everything costs only 100 yen. The classy ambience of Seria, along with the many specialty items that can be found there, help Seria distinguish itself from other such shops by positioning itself not as a shop that sells cheap items, but rather one that sells great items for cheap. This is the image Seria desired to have from the outset.

In addition to the standard items that you’ll find like school and home supplies, Seria features great products for creatives and enthusiasts, such as scrapbooking and crafts supplies, as well as baking supplies and French-themed interior design materials.

With over 1,000 locations throughout Japan, Seria has a way to go to catch up to Daiso in terms of real estate, but they have certainly carved out a niche for themselves.

Can Do: The Small and Stylish 100-Yen Store

Image Source: Tokyo Opera City

Rounding out Japan’s big 3 100-yen stores is Can Do. Featuring a diverse stock of everyday supplies, 35% of which are proudly made in Japan, Can Do does a lot in the tiny spaces of many of the chain’s locations. Most items fall under the category of kitchen and office supplies, but other products available include pre-packaged foods and beverages.

The interior of a typical Can Do shop is very colorful, with striking colors that really entice and attract the buyer. With well placed locations in touristy areas, Can Do is a great place to grab a souvenir, such as a quirky KitKat flavor, or cute trinkets accurately designed to look like traditional Japanese sweet treats such as sweet bean-filled, fish-shaped pancakes called taiyaki, or strawberry-stuffed mochi balls known as daifuku.

Lawson 100: The Most Convenient Konbini

Image Source: wikipedia

Lawson 100 shops are a lower-priced offshoot of the regular line of Lawson konbini, or convenience stores. As such, their locations are appropriately placed in the most convenient areas around Japan, including along busy streets and even within regular neighborhoods.

Locations are what make Lawson 100 stores perfect for emergency situations, particularly weather-related ones. During one of Japan’s infamously sweltering summers, you can grab a cheap face towel to keep you from being drenched in sweat. If you leave for work unprepared for a rainy day and your feet get soaked, pick up a pair of cheap replacement socks to keep you dry until you can return home.

Additionally, you can find incredible deals on produce, which is especially significant when you consider the typically high price of fruits and vegetables at a regular supermarket.

Find Your Next Big Bargain

If you somehow haven’t yet ventured into a 100-yen shop in Japan, you should absolutely make it your next destination. Who knows what you’ll find!

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