60 replies to this topic

[Hiroyuki]

In Japan, we've been in recession and deflation for more than a decade now. 100-yen shops are hailed by many Japanese as money savers.

I usually buy tuna cans at a 100-yen shop nearby. So far, I have bought cutting boards, plates, bowls, and chopsticks, just to name a few.

What do you buy at 100-yen shops?

[Fat Guy]

That's about US$0.90, right?

[torakris]

I love the hundred yen shops!
I rarely buy food there though as, at least in my area, I can always find the same thing cheaper somewhere else.
It is great for dishes (almost half of my dishes are from there) as well as other kitchen gadgets, bowls, colanders, etc

[torakris]

That's about US$0.90, right?

yup! $.91 at today's exchange rate....

[torakris]

The quality of some of the stuff is really incredible, here are a sample of some of the dishes:



everything there cost a total of about $6!

[Min]

i get my bowls & plates from dollar shops too and wow the quality IS superb.

[Hiroyuki]

Besides tuna cans, I also buy spaghetti (600 g), buckwheet noodles (400 g?), cocoa, and several types of sweets.

I think a 100-yen shop is a good place to find souveniers such as folding fans, lanterns, and masks.

[growpower]

I am just moving into my new apartment, and I am stocking a good part of my kitchenware through the 100 yen store (and don't forget shop99! )

I've found everything from nice sushi dishes to 2 pairs of bamboo knitting needles (which would have easily cost me $8 back in the states). I have yet to buy food, I was a bit concerned about the turn over rate (and therefore the freshness) of the food.

torakris, I love that white bowl with the small blue flowers.

Also a slightly off topic question, I have been having trouble finding good and decently priced non-stick pans though... Anyone have suggestions as to where I can find those? It doesn't have to be 100yen

-thanks
_A

[Palladion]

I am just moving into my new apartment, and I am stocking a good part of my kitchenware through the 100 yen store (and don't forget shop99! )

...

Also a slightly off topic question, I have been having trouble finding good and decently priced non-stick pans though... Anyone have suggestions as to where I can find those? It doesn't have to be 100yen

I, too, have been buying dishware and whatnot from the 100 yen store. I've finally decided to get some new plates and bowls to replace the cheap plain white ones that my predecessor was using. I'm also finally getting around to getting new glasses to replace the Winnie the Pooh ones that my predecessor had. The dishes at the shop in my city aren't of quite the same quality as the ones that Torakris posted, but they're OK, and are much nicer than the ones that I've been using.

About the pans, though, good luck (and let us know if you find anything promising). I was actually worried that I wouldn't be able to find good, cheap non-stick pans here in Japan so I brought two pans from America when I came last summer (a 10 inch Calphalon and a 12 inch Anonlon). I was glad I did.

[torakris]

Also a slightly off topic question, I have been having trouble finding good and decently priced non-stick pans though... Anyone have suggestions as to where I can find those? It doesn't have to be 100yen

-thanks
_A

Growpower,
If you are not looking for top quality, just decent priced pans of decent quality, I highly recommend Nitori (ニトリ), it is a great store with fantastic prices on anything home related. They seem to be all over and there is one right next to Carrefour at the Grandberry Mall.....

Here is their homepage:
http://www.nitori.co.jp/

[Hiroyuki]

Non-stick frying pans are called tehuron (= Teflon) kakoh no furai pan.

Small-size non-stick pans are available at 100-yen shops if you don't care for quality.

If you cannot decide which one to buy at a store, the following sentence may come in handy:

すいませんが、手頃な値段で、長持ちするテフロン加工のフライパンはありますか？

Meaning: Execuse me, but do you have any non-stick frying pans at moderate prices that last a long time?

All you have to do is to copy the Japanese, print it, and show it to a sales clerk.

[skchai]

Marukai operates a number of 99-cent stores here and on the West Coast, which a basically transplated 100-yen stores, since most of the products on sale are from Japan (only a 11%* markup!) Food storage containers are the things that get me all excited - numerous shapes and sizes, for all needs, and not flimsy. Here are some small sealed pouring containers we got to store homemade syrups for shaved ice:



*Edited to correct for outdated exchange rate!

[Hiroyuki]

In Japan, Daiso ダイソー is the first to start 100-yen shops, and is the largest in this category of business:
http://www.ghost.co.jp/daiso/
(Japanese only. The site is not very interesting.)
Other 100-yen shop companies:
Can Do:
http://www.cando-web.co.jp/
(Japanese only)
Oh Three:
http://www2.ohthree....glish/index.htm
(English!)
Kitchenware page of Hyaku-emon (on Rakuten, Japan's largest web shopping site):
http://www.rakuten.c...akuemon/430111/
(Japanese only)
Hyaku-en-ya (on Rakuten)
http://www.rakuten.co.jp/emuemu/
(Japanese only)

Enjoy!

***
I forgot to tell you:
100-yen shop is pronounced "hyaku-en shoppu" in Japanese.

Edited by Hiroyuki, 08 May 2004 - 05:25 AM.

[Hiroyuki]

Starting from left,
white kikurage (30 g), shiitake (18 g), and kikurage (30 g, sliced; un-sliced version also available).
I love them all. So does my son.

[torakris]

great buys!

We have a couple Daiso stores in our area and for some reason the other ones seem to have fruit names, orenji (orange) and remon (lemon).....

I picked up almost all of the my kid's stocking stuffers at the 100 yen shop!

[Yuki]

I think that 100 yen shops are better value than "value" shops in other countries. Obviously many of the products in the 100 yen shop are made in China but even in Hong Kong, I can't find anything that cheap.

I am still regretting not buying that large sieve...... it only costed 100 yen. They have a really good kitchen supply section that I would like to stock up on.

[smallworld]

Starting from left,
white kikurage (30 g), shiitake (18 g), and kikurage (30 g, sliced; un-sliced version also available).
I love them all.  So does my son.

Which 100yen shop did you buy these from?

[Hiroyuki]

Which 100yen shop did you buy these from?

Daiso. A Daiso 100-yen shop is the only 100-yen shop we have here in Shiozawa...

[torakris]

Which 100yen shop did you buy these from?

Daiso. A Daiso 100-yen shop is the only 100-yen shop we have here in Shiozawa...

only Daiso??
In less than 10 minutes I can drive to between 10 and 15 100yen shops and none are the same company....

[Hiroyuki]

Which 100yen shop did you buy these from?

Daiso. A Daiso 100-yen shop is the only 100-yen shop we have here in Shiozawa...

only Daiso??
In less than 10 minutes I can drive to between 10 and 15 100yen shops and none are the same company....

Did I tell you that Shiozawa is a small town with a population of 20,000?
But how about those even smaller towns and villages that are without any 100-yen shops?

[Hiroyuki]

I bought a cheap but powerful tool today.

We're in the mood for cake making!

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

Speaking of 100 yen shops...

This Christmas, my mother-in-law bought us these medeval torture devices....er, massagers, that she found in a local shop called Ichiban Kan, which is a small chain of Japanese Dollar stores in the Bay Area. I read a newspaper article that was written for the opening of one of the other shops in the chain, where they said it was based on the 100 yen shop concept.

Very painful little gadgets, those massagers.

[torakris]

today at the 100 yen shop I bought



2 packs of eggs and 400g of mochi

the eggs I picked up at the supermarket last week cost me 220 ($2.15)yen for 10!
and mochi will usually set you pack 600-800 yen ($6-$8) for 1kg

[Hiroyuki]

Yesterday, we bought two packs of roasted soybeans (100 g per pack) at the 100-yen shop. Each pack comes with a mask, either oni (devil?) or otafuku (plain woman).
We are going to use them on Setsubun day, of course.

Setsubun:
http://www.japan-gui...om/e/e2285.html

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

Yesterday, we bought two packs of roasted soybeans (100 g per pack) at the 100-yen shop.  Each pack comes with a mask, either oni (devil?) or otafuku (plain woman).
We are going to use them on Setsubun day, of course.

Setsubun:
http://www.japan-gui...om/e/e2285.html

Setsubun is how I first tasted roasted soybeans. They have a setsubun service at the temple my grandparents attend every year, and my grandma would bring home the little envelopes filled with them, as well as little bags filled with roasted soybeans and candy.

[Hiroyuki]

Today, I bought the following items at the 100-yen shop:
(Starting from top left to bottom right) Harusame, fukujinzuke, shio kombu, and tororo kombu.

Am I the only one who regularly buys foodstuffs at a 100-yen shop??

[easternsun]

these days there are some great 100 yen shops that sell only kitchen items. i adore them!

i can always find something that i dont need - like bamboo baskets to serve stickey rice , on "thai night" or a mini cast iron soup pot (help me if you know what this is really called - it sits on a stand and you put one of those blue flame things under it to keep the soup hot and bubbling at the table) it is also used on thai night .

generally i avoid 100 yen shops because i will buy things i dont need. like more dishes when i dont have room to store the ones i already have!

there is one exception - when i need spices that i know i am only using for one recipe - i usually get them at 100 yen because i can get just a small amount and not worry about finding ways to use the rest. almost all my christmas baking was done with spices from the 100 yen shop.

now i am feeling the urge - it is like a drug! just some pocket change and i can have new stuff!! and really the dishes are so pretty and they have such a variety.....dangerous territory for me!

[Hiroyuki]

a mini cast iron soup pot (help me if you know what this is really called - it sits on a stand and you put one of those blue flame things under it to keep the soup hot and bubbling at the table) it is also used on thai night . 

You simply mean 鉄鍋 tetsu nabe (iron pot)?
More specifically, you can call it 一人用の小さな(or 小さい）鉄鍋 Hitori you no chiisana (or chiisai) tetsu nabe (small iron pot for one person).

[lambretta76]

I heard there were some outstanding - and huge - 100 yen shops in Tokyo - can anyone direct me to any - particularly to ones that would stock pottery and glassware (vases and table settings, preferably...)

Many thanks!

[torakris]

I heard there were some outstanding - and huge - 100 yen shops in Tokyo - can anyone direct me to any - particularly to ones that would stock pottery and glassware (vases and table settings, preferably...)

Many thanks!

Once you get here you will have no problem finding 100yen shops!
The bigger the station the more likely the bigger the store...

Daiso (100yen chain shop) has about 2500 stores nationwide and have great stuff, this is my favorite store. There is a really large 3 story Daiso in Harajuku that is wonderful, you will find everything you are looking for and it is in a fun area to boot.

here is some more information including direction from Harajuku station