Great for browsing and shopping: A lazy guide to 13 must-visit "100-yen shops" in Japan

Reporter Tsai Wen-jun / Special report

In recent years, Japan has seen a rise in specialty stores for household goods. These shops not only compete in design but also in price, leading to the emergence of numerous 100-yen shop brands that offer both style and affordability. Travelers can now take home a variety of daily necessities, kitchenware, and bedding at pocket-change prices. Below are 13 must-visit 100-yen shops in Japan. Whether you're looking for small daily items or souvenirs, you’ll find high-quality and unique choices here too.

▲ Daiso in Japan. (Photo / Reporter Chen Shih-chang)

1. Daiso (DAISO)
The most famous name among 100-yen shops is undoubtedly Daiso—it’s fair to call it the pioneer of 100-yen stores. Except for specially marked items, almost all products are uniformly priced at 100 yen. With over 80,000 items on offer, Daiso has more than 2,600 branches across Japan and around 26 countries worldwide, including Taiwan.

Although Daiso branches can now be found almost everywhere in Taiwan, some items are still exclusive to Japan. So if you’re hunting for treasures, the accessible and affordable Daiso is definitely not to be missed.

Official website:http://www.daiso-sangyo.co.jp/

▲ Seria is a 100-yen shop. (Photo / Reporter Tsai Wen-jun)

2.Seria
In recent years, Seria has gained increasing recognition, rapidly expanding its number of branches. It’s another 100-yen shop with a uniform price of 100 yen. The store's concept is "adding color to life," which is reflected in its many bright and colorful designs. Here you can find everything from small furniture pieces to daily household goods—definitely a spot budget-conscious shoppers shouldn’t miss.

Official website:http://www.seria-group.com/

▲ Can★Do logo. (Photo / From Can★Do official website)

3.Can★Do
Can★Do, along with Daiso and Seria, is one of Japan’s three major 100-yen shop chains. Like the others, it offers a uniform price of 100 yen for most items, but it also has a unique feature: except for food, all products come with a “one-year appreciation period,” during which exchanges and returns are accepted. This is quite special. The same group also operates other 100-yen shop brands such as Le Plus and YOU YOU, which offers items at a uniform price of 315 yen.

Official website:http://www.cando-web.co.jp/about/

▲ Watts, which sells a wide range of products. (Photo / Reporter Tsai Wen-jun)

4.Watts
Watts is also a 100-yen uniform-price shop, mainly selling stationery, small ornaments, kitchenware, and more. With its bright space and simple design, it’s a great place for minimalism-loving shoppers on a budget to discover treasures.

Official website:http://www.watts-jp.com/

▲ 3coins OOPS!, a concept store. (Photo / Reporter Tsai Wen-jun)

5.3coins
3coins is a 300-yen uniform-price 100-yen shop that combines affordability with design. Its product lineup leans toward household goods, and its branches can often be found in large Japanese department stores and underground malls near major train stations. Depending on the store format, there are also sub-brands such as 3coins OOPS!, 3COINS +plus, 3COINS station, and colle.

Official website:http://www.3coins.jp/recommend/

▲ CouCou, with product designs catering more to female customers. (Photo / Reporter Tsai Wen-jun)

6.Cou Cou
Cou Cou is also a 300-yen uniform-price shop. Both its store design and product offerings are more feminine, focusing on various household goods and medium-to-small home decorations. It also features a dedicated section for women’s travel accessories. With its thoughtful and adorable designs, it’s very popular among female shoppers.

Official website:http://www.coucou.co.jp/

▲ Alice’s Wednesday: the small door entrance is a highlight. (Photo / Reporter Tsai Wen-jun)

7. Alice’s Wednesday
A brand under the same group as Cou Cou, Alice’s Wednesday is not a uniform-price 100-yen shop. Item prices range from 350 yen to 1,000 yen, and some may even exceed 1,000 yen. From the store design to the interior decor, it’s uniquely themed, modeled after the story of Alice in Wonderland. The entrance is a small wooden door that all customers must duck through to enter.

▲ The shop mainly sells Alice-themed items. (Photo / Reporter Tsai Wen-jun)

The store’s products are also designed around the Alice in Wonderland theme, primarily offering small female accessories, compact mirrors, wallets, diaries, and more. There are also a variety of desserts for sale, making it a charming little shop that women shouldn’t miss.

Official website:http://www.aliceonwednesday.jp/

▲Illustration of the illusie store layout. (Photo / Reporter Cai Wenjun)

8.illusie
illusie is also a 300-yen flat-price variety store. With the concept of "adding color to everyday life," it features lively patterns and color combinations in various daily necessities, while also selling small items such as women's accessories and gadgets.

Official website:http://mb.palemo.com/brand.php?brand=11&id=illusie300

▲Mikazuki Momoko offers products geared toward a younger age group. (Photo / Reporter Cai Wenjun)

9. Mikazuki Momoko (ミカツキモモコ)

Mikazuki Momoko is also a 100-yen store, primarily selling women’s hair accessories, jewelry, and stylish tote bags. Overall, it caters more to a teenage demographic, and all items in the store are priced uniformly at 300 yen.

Official website:http://www.momoko300.com/

▲Illustration of the Natural Kitchen store layout. (Photo / FromNatural Kitchen’s official Facebook page)

10.Natural Kitchen
"Natural Kitchen," which also has branches in Taiwan, is a Japanese countryside-style general store mainly selling household and kitchen goods. Many of its tableware, plates, and cooking aids are popular among women and customers who prefer a natural, minimalist style. In Japan, it is also a 100-yen flat-price store.

Official website:http://www.natural-kitchen.jp/

▲Price range varies at Passport. (Photo / FromKabushiki Kaisha Passport Co., Ltd.)

Official website:http://www.passport.co.jp/

▲Awesome Store, a 100-yen shop with a blend of European and Japanese design aesthetics. (Photo / FromAwesome Store’s official Facebook page)

12.Awesome Store
Combining European and Japanese styles, this affordable 100-yen shop doesn’t look cheap at all from the outside. From home goods to small accessories, you can find uniquely designed items in illustration style, doodle style, and minimalist designs. Prices generally range from 100 to 550 yen, though there are not many branches—currently only in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Wajima, Kumamoto, and Nara.

Official website:http://www.awesomestore.net/#!shop-list/c6vz

▲Specialty Nordic lifestyle goods store: Flying Tiger Copenhagen. (Photo / FromFlying Tiger Japan’s official Facebook page)

13.Flying tiger Copenhagen

A must-visit classic variety store in Japan is Flying Tiger Copenhagen. Originally a well-known Nordic lifestyle goods brand, it expanded to Japan with stores that are full of Nordic charm. The designs also incorporate rich humor and bright colors—expect colorful candles, mustache-shaped pillows, origami sets with various patterns, and more. Prices range from 100 to 800 yen.

Official website:http://www.flyingtiger.jp/

▲A wall of candles and origami paper showcases a vibrant array of colors. (Photo / Reporter Cai Wenjun)