Welcome to Japan, the land of the rising sun! You’ve heard already that this country is an expensive country. You have brought your savings and know what you’re in for, but honestly speaking, you’d want to save as much as possible on your initial expenses when you’re trying to settle down in an unexplored country. Things in Japan are not the cheapest, but walk into a dollar shop and you will be all surprised at the amazing Japanese goods they sell at JUST at a dollar. You could literally live with just dollar shop items!
So, in this article, you will learn the top 3 popular dollar shops in Japan and each of their unique selling points. They have a huge variety of items and some cost over a dollar, but they are still very cheap. Each of these brands have their own popular items, so by knowing their differences and USPs, you may be able to find what you are really looking for.
TOP 3 dollar shop brands in Japan
Daiso
Daiso is one of the most major dollar shop brand in Japan. Some Daisos are located within a huge shopping mall and occupy one entire floor. If you have a huge Daiso nearby, I’m sure you’d be able to find almost ANYthing you’re looking for. Daiso is also very good in promoting its brand overseas. Daiso shops are also located in some countries overseas, and they also have a nice English website. You will also be able to see many items with English and Chinese translations on their packages, which is something that other dollar shop brands may not have. It is always helpful to have English explanations on the back of the packages, or else you would have your eyes wide open to check out the picture on the package and figure out how you’re supposed to use the item.
CanDo
CanDo also is a famous dollar shop located all around Japan. It has its own unique lineup that attracts a lot of female consumers. Its products are very original and do not see many similar items in other dollar shops, whereas many dollar shops have almost identical items. CanDo is good at gardening items, craft materials, makeup goods which may be one of the reasons young ladies like CanDo. It also makes great use of instagram to promote its items in a stylish way. Really, you would not believe that these items are just at a dollar! And they are all so Kawaii! My personal opinion…it can do a little better with the English website, since it doesn’t really showcase the Kawaii side of the brand.
Seria
Seria is one of the dollar shop brands that became popular later than the above two. Seria focuses its target towards young female consumers, and is especially good with craft materials and DIY items. Along with the recent DIY trend that has been going on amongst the Japanese homemakers, Seria’s popularity became common by stylish influencers and bloggers. So if you are a DIY person yourself, I would definitely suggest you go to Seria for cheap shopping! They also have a nice series of character items like Hello Kitty and Disney caharacters. And many of the items sold at Seria are made in Japan, which is another great point for foreigners looking for cheap and fun Japanese souvenirs to send back to your home country. As for the English website, they don’t even have one! All the English I can see on their website is What’s Seria that talks about their brand, but everything is in Japanese.
Look for your nearby store
One of the frustrating things you may have when settling down in Japan is shopping at a grocery store or a convenience store (conbini) with all the strange food around you and not being able to find what you are looking for. If you are one of those people who are able to eat anything edible, you’re fine. But if you’re willing to try some but don’t want to waste your money, go to Daiso or CanDo. They have lots and lots of food and it’s cheap! (It seems like Seria does not sell food items) If it’s a dollar, what do you have to waste! You can always rush into your nearest Daiso for your everyday grocery shopping if you think you spend too much on your weekend.
From Erika
So, now you know the 3 major dollar shop brands in Japan, and their unique selling points. Make use of them! I often go to Seria to get some craft materials. I hope this article was helpful for you. By the way, a dollar shop is called HYAKKIN in Japanese, an abbreviation of 100 yen KIN-ITSU meaning “everything is 100 yen”.
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