Daiso - A store you MUST visit when in Japan!

When visiting Japan there are some things you are just not allowed to miss. While some are obvious (e.g. Shibuya crossing), there are places and shops that you might miss if you are not particularly looking for them. The Daiso is one of the shops that you absolutely MUST visit when in Japan. Daiso is famous for offering a wide variety of products for only ¥108 (100 yen + 8% consumer tax = ¥108). While cheap prices might sometimes reflect on the quality of the products offered, at Daiso this is usually not the case! A lot of the products that can be bought at Daiso are actually produced in Japan, which generally means that the quality of the product is high.

There is a wide variety of products offered at Daiso, and the selection changes every season. Because of this it is always interesting to go to Daiso, and you can usually find what you need. Do you need new cleaning supplies for your new room? Daiso. Do you need tools to fix your broken bike? Daiso. Do you need food, a leash and some clothes for your dog? Daiso. Do you need strange and reasonably prices souvenirs from Japan? DEFINITELY DAISO! Last April I was about to go to Yoyogi Park with some friends. First we headed over to the Daiso to pick up some blanket, snacks, drinks and toys (A badminton set for ¥108, how is that even possible?!? ) I had forgotten my sunglasses, but I could even find an excellent one at Daiso that was a big life saver on that sunny day. All in all, Daiso is really an awesome shop!

[caption id="attachment_80" align="alignnone" width="880"] Potter & Glasses aisle at the Daiso in the Diversity shopping mall in Odaiba.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_79" align="alignnone" width="880"] Health care goods aisle of the Daiso in DiverCity.[/caption]

Even though the Daiso is a 100-yen shop, this does not mean that every product found is exactly ¥108. Some products are prices in a multiple of 100-yen. These products always have an extra label to let you know that their prices deviates from the usual 100-yen, and the shop clerk that checks you out will also confirm with you that you are buying a higher priced item.

Some people have asked me where they can find a Daiso. It is good to remember that basically every central place in the big cities (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya etc.) usually has a Daiso, which means it should usually be easy to find one around you.

NOTE: There are a variety of 100-yen shop in Japan like Daiso.  However Daiso is the most widely recognised of all 100-yen shops in Japan.