Introducing 100 Yen Shops: A Traveler’s Best Friend
Sana Yoshida
When traveling by airplane or Shinkansen, keeping your luggage as light as possible is always a priority. In those situations, it’s incredibly convenient to have simple disposable items that you can buy locally and then throw away before returning home.
That’s where Japan’s “100-yen shops” (Japanese equivalent of a dollar store) come in handy.
What is a 100 Yen Shop?
A 100-yen shop is a type of store in Japan where a wide range of products, from daily necessities to snacks and household goods, are sold at a uniform price of 100 yen (before tax).
In Japan, they are mainly called Hyakkin (short for Hyaku Yen Kinitsu, or 100 yen uniform price).
Depending on the shop, not all items are limited strictly to 100 yen. Some stores also offer products priced even lower like 50 or 99 yen, while others carry slightly larger items, including interior goods, priced around 300 to 500 yen. The main appeal is that everything remains highly affordable, centered around the one-coin price range.
Recently, as the oshi-katsu (fan support activity) trend has grown, many 100-yen shops now offer collaborative merchandise featuring popular characters. Additionally, some brands have expanded into 300-yen shops, focusing on higher-quality design and stylish goods while still maintaining an affordable price point.
What is 100 yen worth?
In terms of US dollars, 100 yen is only about 60 to 65 cents at the December 2025 exchange rate. (*See current rates here) Being able to grab handy items for under a dollar makes these shops a hit with tourists. Naturally, 100 yen is a bargain for locals too, earning them huge popularity among Japanese residents.
When you realize that a juice from a vending machine costs 130–200 yen, it’s easy to understand just how reasonably priced 100-yen shop items are.
What You Can Buy at 100 Yen Shops
One of the greatest appeals of 100-yen shops is their incredible range: from everyday essentials to items you might only need on rare occasions like seasonal decorations or event goods, everything can be purchased at an affordable price.
Household Items
Photo AC
Their selection is diverse, ranging from kitchen tools and cleaning supplies to gardening items and interior décor.
From disposable cutlery and tableware to cleaning brushes and detergents for the bathroom and toilet, as well as cushion covers, fertilizer, and potting soil, they have just about anything you need! Because the selection is so extensive, these shops are perfect for situations where you want to try something out, or when an item would be convenient to have but not worth paying a high price for.
Food Products
Colorful Candies / Photo AC
You can also purchase beverages, snacks, instant foods, and seasonings. Many small sweets are sold in sets of three or four for just 100 yen, making them perfect for trying a variety of flavors. Some products are even cheaper than those found in regular supermarkets, which is why many people like to stock up and buy in bulk.
Hair and Makeup Products
Photo AC
Their beauty section offers everything from makeup tools like combs, sponges, and puffs to skincare products such as lotions, moisturizers, and makeup removers. You’ll even find nail care items, eyeshadows, and blushes.
You can also find nail art supplies and a variety of hair accessories.
Travel Goods
Travel Goods / Photo AC
Travel-related products are also very abundant, including compression bags, earplugs, neck pillows, and compact organizers. You can even pick up practical items you might suddenly need during your trip, such as shoe insoles, raincoats, or umbrellas, all at affordable prices.
Electronic Devices and Accessories
Electric Appliances / Photo AC
You’ll also find practical electronic accessories such as watches, flashlights, earphones, and stylus pens for smartphones and tablets. Charging cables are especially convenient to pick up when you only need something temporary while traveling. Some shops even carry unique gadgets like ring lights for livestreaming or tracing boards for drawing illustrations and manga.
Character Merchandise
Character Goods / Photo AC
In addition to well-known brands like Sanrio and Disney, you’ll also find collaborative merchandise featuring popular manga, anime, and video game characters. Each collaboration features exclusive items including acrylic keychains, stickers, and pouches.
Seasonal and Event Goods
Xmas Goods / Photo AC
During seasonal events such as New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas, they offer a great selection of party supplies, festive decorations, and even simple costumes, making it easy to celebrate without spending much.
Useful 100 Yen Shop Items When Traveling
100-yen shops also carry a wide variety of items that are especially useful when traveling. You can pick up products that may not be allowed in carry-on luggage at airports, and many of the items are disposable, making them ideal for reducing the amount you need to pack and bring back home.
Due to frequent product turnover, the exact items introduced here may not always be in stock. However, you will almost always find alternative products with similar functions. If there’s something you need, it’s worth exploring the aisles.
Washable Travel Packing Cases
These organizer cases help keep the inside of your suitcase neat and tidy, preventing your belongings from becoming a disorganized mess. Made from materials that can go straight into the washing machine, they can be cleaned easily after use, ensuring they stay fresh and hygienic for your next trip.
Travel Compression Bags
Compression bags are a reliable travel essential for keeping clothing compact and saving valuable space in your luggage. While many types require a vacuum cleaner to remove the air, the most convenient options for travel are the ones you can simply press by hand to compress.
If you love traveling, it’s also a great idea to stock up on a few extra bags for future trips!
Travel Accessory Cases With Compartments
These compact organizers are perfect for storing small items such as medications or cosmetics. They’re also great for keeping earrings, piercings, rings, and other accessories neatly arranged, as well as the little souvenirs you pick up on your trip.
In addition to hard plastic cases, you can also find soft vinyl pouches that are lightweight and take up very little space, so take a look while you're there.
Wet Wipes
Wet wipes are incredibly handy to keep with you, especially when you can’t easily find a restroom and need to clean your hands or mouth. There are alcohol-based wipes that provide strong sanitizing power, as well as alcohol-free options suitable for children or those with sensitive skin. You’ll also find many variations, such as larger sheets, thicker materials, and unscented types.
Foldable Smartphone Stand
Smartphone stands are useful for watching videos during downtime at your hotel or while relaxing on the go.
It's a handy item with minimal impact if accidentally lost or forgotten, and can be disposed of as plastic waste at the end of your trip.
Low-Profile Earplugs
Earplugs are useful on airplanes, Shinkansen, or even in hotels. Even if you think the noise won’t bother you, it can quickly become distracting when you’re trying to sleep or relax, so having a pair on hand can be a relief.
This pair of earplugs, sold at Watts, features a simple and cute design and is made from soft silicone material that won’t irritate your ears easily. They can also be water-washed and easily kept clean.
Rainproof Bag Covers
Japan often experiences strong rain and wind, and while umbrellas are easy to buy at convenience stores, they don’t always fully protect your backpack or handheld bags. With a rain bag cover from a 100-yen shop you can quickly slip it over your belongings to keep them dry, and when you’re finished using it, you can simply throw it away.
Besides rain bag covers, many 100-yen shops also sell raincoats, umbrellas, and small umbrella-sleeves for storing wet umbrellas, all usually priced in the range of a few hundred yen up to around 1,000 yen. For people who hesitate to spend several thousand yen on rain gear when they don’t know when they’ll need it again, these affordable alternatives are reassuring and practical.
Various Hair Accessories
Hair accessories are easy to lose or accidentally break while you’re out and about. At 100-yen shops, you can pick up everything from cute designs that children will love to stylish options suitable for adults, all for just 100 yen each.
Various Razors
Razors are essential for shaving facial hair and unwanted hair, but because many hotels provide them as amenities, they’re easy to forget when packing. If you find yourself without one, you can easily buy them at a 100-yen shop. They carry a wide range of options, from standard T-shaped razors to ones designed for thinning leg hair, eyebrow razors with built-in combs, and facial razors.
Various Makeup Sponges
We tend to easily forget makeup accessories like brushes and puffs. Bulky makeup sponges in particular are convenient to pick up at a 100-yen shop, where you can quickly replace what you need without spending much.
You’ll also find makeup brushes, cleansing towels, shower caps, and hair combs. There is also a wide selection of cosmetics, including makeup removers and face masks, so even if you forget something by accident, you can replace it quickly and affordably.
Various Foot Care Pads
Traveling often involves long periods of walking or standing on trains, which can leave your feet feeling tired and sore. When you’re on your feet from morning until night, discomfort from fatigue or shoe friction can really take a toll.
Many 100-yen shops carry shoe inserts that help absorb impact, so these items can be a real lifesaver when your feet start to feel the strain.
Many Other Convenient Items!
Although we focused on 100-yen items here, many shops also carry products priced between 200 and 1,000 yen. You might think they're expensive for a 100-yen shop, but you instead could come across stylish wireless headphones or other surprisingly high-quality items that make you wonder how they can be 1,000 yen.
While the sound quality and finer details may reflect the affordable price, making them less suitable for long-term use, these shops are perfect for picking up something you suddenly need while traveling.
Where Can You Find 100 Yen Shops?
In more rural cities, 100-yen shops are often found as large standalone stores, while in major urban areas they are more commonly located inside train station buildings and commercial complexes as tenant shops.
In some cases, a few convenience stores like certain branches of Seven-Eleven carry 100-yen items from chains like Daiso. There’s also a convenience-store brand called “Lawson Store 100,” which sells items such as vegetables and boxed lunches for 100 yen. If you search for “100-yen shop” in a mapping app, you can locate nearby stores regardless of brand.
Payment Methods Vary by Store
At 100-yen shops, you can usually pay not only with cash but also with credit cards, QR code payment services, and transportation IC cards. However, the exact payment methods accepted may vary slightly depending on the mall or department store where the shop is located.
- Some only accept cash
- Some only have self-checkouts and don't take cash
Because the available payment options can vary, it’s best to be prepared with more than one payment method when visiting a 100-yen shop. For more details on common payment methods used in Japan, please refer to the guide linked below.
Introduction to Japan's 4 Major 100 Yen Shop Brands
Japan has had stores that sold products at uniform prices since around 1722 during the Kyōhō era, though most operated as street stalls, traveling vendors, or temporary pop-up shops. In 1985, Daiso became the first company in Japan to open a permanent retail store dedicated to fixed-price sales. By offering high-quality products with minimal profit margins, the brand rapidly expanded its presence across the country.
Following Daiso’s success, other companies such as Can★Do and Seria entered the market, each offering their own unique selection of products. Together, they have helped shape the diverse and competitive 100-yen shop industry seen in Japan today.
In this article, we’ll introduce an overview of each major 100-yen shop brand, along with some of the largest stores located in Tokyo. If you’re considering adding 100-yen shops to your sightseeing itinerary, this information will be a helpful reference.
DAISO
Daiso is the largest brand in the industry, boasting the greatest number of stores and product variety. It has expanded not only throughout Asia but also into North America, South America, the Middle East, and Oceania, making it a beloved retailer that supports everyday living around the world.
The brand’s most defining feature is its incredible product variety. Many locations are large-scale stores packed with items of every kind, giving visitors a treasure hunting vibe as they browse through the aisles.
DAISO Ikebukuro Tobu Store
Located inside Tobu Department Store connected to Ikebukuro Station. The Ikebukuro area is also known for its many otaku-friendly shops, making this store a convenient place to pick up organizers, cases, or other accessories to store newly purchased merchandise.
Seria
Seria is known for its stylish and thoughtfully designed products, with a strong lineup of fashionable accessories, handmade craft supplies, and DIY items. It also offers a wide range of baking tools, making it especially handy for seasonal events such as Valentine’s Day and Christmas. Another distinctive feature is that Seria strictly adheres to the 100-yen pricing system, meaning you won’t find 200-yen or 300-yen items here.
Seria: Japan Meat Ouji Store
This large Seria store is located inside the supermarket. The surrounding area features shrines and museums, allowing visitors to enjoy a slightly niche urban exploration before or after shopping.
If you’re not particular about visiting a large store, Seria also has locations in major sightseeing areas such as Ginza and Asakusa.
Can★Do
Can★Do focuses on everyday practicality, offering a strong selection of food items and household goods in simple designs that are easy for families to use. The company also places great importance on social media engagement, taking customer feedback and real user opinions into account when developing new products.
Can★Do Seibu Shinjuku PePe Store
This large Can★Do store is located inside Seibu Shinjuku PePe, a shopping mall situated in the heart of Kabukicho. Directly connected to Seibu Shinjuku Station, Seibu Shinjuku PePe offers much more than just a 100-yen shop; visitors can also enjoy browsing fashion accessories or taking a break at one of the many cafés and sweet shops.
Watts
Focusing on a community-oriented approach, Watts designs each store with its own local personality, resulting in unique layouts and product selections. Many branches offer a strong lineup of family-friendly items such as kitchen tools and educational toys. Because the available products vary depending on each shop’s location and neighborhood, it can be fun to explore different stores and compare them.
Watts Shiodome Shiosite Store
Although not a large store, this 100-yen shop is located in the rapidly redeveloping Shiodome area. Nearby, you can explore the Italia-gai, a European-style district designed by an Italian architect, and the building itself is known for its stunning night views, making it a pleasant stop during your sightseeing.
[Honorable Mentions] 300 Yen Shops
Although 100-yen shops mainly focus on products priced at 100 yen, 300-yen shops have been steadily growing in number, offering stylish items with a greater emphasis on design, while still remaining affordable.
These shops mainly carry lifestyle goods such as kitchen and interior décor items. While the prices are slightly higher than those of 100-yen shops, the quality is far above what you would expect for just 300 yen. As a result, they have become especially popular among young women.
3COINS
They offer a wide range of products including fashion accessories, cosmetics, interior décor, and kitchen goods. While some higher-priced items are available, such as storage organizers, wireless earphones, and toy cameras, most products are priced at just 300 yen. Their sleek, stylish, and gender-neutral designs are a major reason why these stores have become so popular.
3COINS +plus Nishi-Ginza Department Store
NISHIGINZA
〒1040061, 4-chōme-1-先 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo
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THREEPPY
This is a sister brand of Daiso, detailed above. Like others in the category, it offers a wide selection of lifestyle goods, tech accessories, and interior décor items. Thanks to its affordable prices and stylish, high quality designs, the brand has been gaining popularity. Items featuring Disney collaborations and seasonal trends often become hot topics on social media as well.
At the Daiso inside Tobu Department Store in Ikebukuro, you’ll also find a THREEPPY section operating alongside it.