10 top ideas from locals who’ve been shopping at this 100-yen store all their lives.
For some years now, our Japanese-language reporters have been traversing the city, looking for the best ways to spend 1,000 yen (US$6.99) at some of the nation’s most popular chains. Today’s installment brings us to 100-yen store Daiso, where each member of the team has put forth recommendations for what you should buy at the chain, naming their collections according to a theme, and with the only rule being that nobody is allowed to go even one-yen over budget.
So let’s take a look at what hidden gems they’ve discovered for us — from practical to tasty and simply cute, there’s a good selection here to appeal to a wide variety of tastes.
▼ Takashi Harada’s “Daiso’s Hangers Are a Sure Bet Set”
Total: 990 yen
“I have a strong impression that Daiso’s hangers are excellent. Not only is there a wide variety, but there are also clever, innovative products that make it feel like Daiso really packs in that 100-yen shop spirit. My favourite among them is the hoodie hanger. Whether you have it or not makes a huge difference in how quickly the hood part dries so I highly recommend buying it!”
Takashi Harada went all in on hangers alone. Ten points for practicality, and the fun is in how well they work to look after your clothes.
▼ Yoshio Ueda’s “Daiso Is a Cup Noodle Specialty Store”
“Let me get straight to the point: this price is seriously a steal. Even at drugstores, supermarkets, and online marketplaces like Amazon or Rakuten you’ll rarely see Cup Noodles in this price range. While they’re an “あっさりおいしい” (“Assari Oishii” [“light and tasty”]) variety, with lighter flavour and 80-percent of the noodles compared to a regular Cup Noodle, you still get the same umami so it’s a great cheap-eat hack. I reckon some people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference with their eyes closed but if you want more flavour, you can simply reduce the amount of water you add.”
Instant noodles may not be the first thing that usually comes to mind when you think of a 100-yen store, but for noodle lovers looking for a bargain, this is great find, especially as there are five flavours to choose from: Soy Sauce, Seafood, Chili Tomato, Curry, and Spicy Hot Seafood.
▼ Takamichi Furusada’s “Flea Market Shipping Set Chosen by an 11-Year Mercari Veteran”
- Packing air mat: 110 yen
- A4 shipping case (2 pieces): 110 yen
- B5 cardboard sheets (6 pieces): 110 yen
- Thickness measuring ruler: 110 yen
- Yu-Packet Post shipping stickers (20 pieces): 110 yen
- Rotary measuring tape: 110 yen
- Sealing stickers (24 pieces): 110 yen
- A4 delivery vinyl bags (8 pieces): 110 yen
- A4 clear pockets (12 pieces): 110 yen
Total: 990 yen
“I may be tooting my own horn, but this year marks my 11th year using the Mercari flea market app. If you ever need to post things, to buyers or otherwise, Daiso has everything you need, and these are my go-to products.”
Nobody knew about Takamichi’s secret life as a Mercari seller before today, so we’ve learnt two new things about him — his side hustle and his secret products for success.
▼ Mariko Ohanabatake’s “A Million Dollar Balloon Party of Memories“
- Birthday garland: 110 yen
- Glitter star decorations (12 gold pieces): 110 yen
- Film balloon (heart, matte color): 110 yen
- Party balloons (8 pink): 110 yen
- Film balloon (Number 4): 110 yen
- Film balloon (Number 2): 110 yen
- Confetti balloon (about 11 inches, heart-shaped): 110 yen
- Artificial flower bouquet: 110 yen
- Balloon pump: 110 yen
Total: 990 yen
“The thing that surprised me most at Daiso this time was the balloon and garland decorations. You know how those cool girls on social media get surprise celebrations at hotels? Well, you can do that at home for under 1,000 yen! The balloon pump is a must — decorating took so long I almost cursed myself for coming up with the idea, but the finished look was so joyful and gorgeous, it didn’t look like a 100-yen shop setup at all. This would be great for a child’s or friend’s birthday, as it’ll help create a memory for life.”
The queen of the 1,000 yen series, Mariko, forewent food for ballooms this time around, and now she’s got us in the party mood too.
▼ Masanuki Sunakoma’s “Complete Butamen Set”
- Butamen 3-pack: 216 yen × 4
- Chicken Ramen: 116 yen
- Plastic bag: 3 yen
Total: 983 yen
“Daiso isn’t just a ‘hanger shop’, a ‘cup noodle shop’, or a ‘Mercari goods shop’… Daiso is a ‘Butamen shop!’ Not only do they have the usual instant noodle flavours like tonkotsu, soy sauce, salt, and curry, but you can also get the Daiso-exclusive “Spicy Seafood” flavor, which is actually not that well known. Three for 216 yen is super cheap, and even with a bonus Chicken Ramen and a plastic bag, it only set me back 983 yen!”
If you love cheap instant noodles then it might be time for you to try Butamen, and according to Masanuki, Daiso is the ideal place to try it.
▼ Go Hatori’s “Top 9 Daiso Products Chosen by a 100-Yen Shop Critic”
- Spoon for eating curry deliciously (Absolutely a must-buy!)
- 3D silicone mask (I use it every day) Nose hair trimmer (also essential, lasts a long time)
- Medicine notebook/clinic card case (many types, but the one in the article is good)
- iPhone 16 Pro screen protector (I even bring it on overseas trips)
- iPhone 13 Pro camera protector (also works for 16 Pro, bring it on trips)
- Monochrome rubber bands (even rubber bands can be stylish-only seen at Daiso)
- Seasoned egg maker (not a Daiso original, but revolutionary)
- Delivery sign plate (not a Daiso original, but really good)
Total: 975 yen
“Having written over 540 reviews of 100-yen shops, I can say the following nine items are must-buys at Daiso. If you include other 100-yen shops, the list would change, but for Daiso, these are it. All items are 100 yen each and they’re absolutely reliable products, so I hope you find them useful!”
As a 100-yen shop expert, Go Hatori’s list has clout — if he says it’s good, it must be.
▼ Ahiruneko’s “Perfect Home Drinking Set”
- Canned chicken in garlic pepper sauce: 108 yen
- Canned chicken in refreshing lemon salt sauce: 108 yen
- Canned chicken in teriyaki sauce: 108 yen
- Domestic scallop strings: 108 yen
- Yamaya mentaiko cashew nuts: 108 yen
- Smoked cheese with black pepper: 108 yen Truffle salami: 108 yen
- Pure Potato & Karamucho: 2 for 108 yen
- Umaibo salad flavor: 17 yen
- Light and tasty cup noodle: 108 yen
- Plastic bag: 3 yen
Total: 992 yen
“Depending on the store, Daiso actually has a great selection of unique snacks for drinking. In fact, you could say they have everything except alcohol. If you tried to buy this much at a convenience store, it would probably cost a lot. Of course, if it were all just dry snacks, it’d be boring, so I picked three flavour-packed canned foods too. Every item is sure to hit a home run with drinkers, and even with a cup noodle for the finale, it’s under 1,000 yen. I have to say, this is a skillful lineup!”
Ahiruneko went all in on snacks that pair well with alcohol, but had to mime an alcoholic beverage in its absence. With canned goods leading the way, it’s a lineup that’s good for a night of drinking, which Ahiruneko is something of a dab hand at.
▼ Seiji Nakazawa’s “A Smartphone Charger for 330 Yen is Just Too Cheap Set”
- AC adapter: 330 yen
- A-C cable: 330 yen
- Smartphone magnifying screen: 220 yen
- Black Thunder (3-pack): 108 yen
Total: 988 yen
“Have you ever thought chargers and cables are expensive? I often forget to bring them on trips and end up buying them at a convenience store, which is frustrating. But at Daiso, you can get a charger for just 330 yen! That’s way too cheap!! And the USB Type-C cable is also 330 yen. You really can’t have too many of these, so I put together a smartphone accessory pack centered around charging. I bought some Black Thunders too, just because I wanted to eat them.”
Nakazawa’s top recommendations are mobile accessories, which are always handy in a pinch. Whether they last long is another question, but everyone agrees Daiso’s mobile gear is cheap so you can’t go wrong with these.
▼ Mr Sato’s “The Best Buy at Daiso is Wired Earphones”
Total: 500 yen
“To be honest, I was planning to go with coffee items this time as Daiso does some great coffees, but when I thought about what I most wanted to recommend to readers, I decided to go with these earphones, which have totally changed my music-listening experience. The sound quality is shockingly good for under 1,000 yen — in fact, discovering these led me to start a whole series on hunting for cheap earphones. This product shatters the theory that sound quality is proportional to price. Rather than just picking random items to make up 1,000 yen, I wanted to introduce readers to something that could change their lives for under 1,000 yen.”
Ever the discerning consumer, Mr Sato once again didn’t use up his allocated budget, walking away with money to spare like he did in our last 1,000 yen shopping spree.
▼ Yuuichiro Wasai’s “Adult Field Trip Set”
- Black Thunder ×3: 108 yen
- Happy Turn: 108 yen
- Crisp Choco & Pocky: 2 for 324 yen
- Lumonde & Elise: 2 for 324 yen
- Leisure sheet: 108 yen
Total: 972 yen
“Since Daiso has everything, the ideal way to spend 1,000 yen really depends on what you want. But if I had to pick something that everyone will love, it’d be a field trip snack set. Daiso sells some of its smaller snacks as bundles, so you can get two or three for 100 yen. With plastic picnic sheets being about 100 yen, you can get yourself a field trip set and around 900 yen worth of snacks for under 1,000 yen. When I was in elementary school (I was born in 1981), the rule when going on field trips was you could only bring “snacks up to 300 yen,” so being able to buy 900 yen’s worth as an adult is a thrill. Eating these outdoors will bring back memories of field trips as a kid, and that experience alone is worth more than 1,000 yen.”
Yuuichiro opted for snacks, with a touch of nostalgia, including longstanding favourites that visitors to Japan should definitely try.
▼ P.K. Sanjun’s “All for the Sake of Kaki no Tane Set”
- Kaki no Tane (plum flavor, no peanuts): 108 yen × 4
- Kaki no Tane (wasabi flavor, no peanuts): 108 yen × 2
- Hokkaido roasted soybeans: 108 yen × 3
- Plastic bag: 3 yen
Total: 975 yen
“For me, Daiso is basically a snack shop. Among them, Kaki no Tane and Kyabetsu Taro are my MVPs! This time, since they didn’t have Kyabetsu Taro, I had to go with just Kaki no Tane, but these two are always top-notch. I especially recommend the plum flavor Kaki no Tane, with Wasabi being a chaser — three plums to one wasabi is the ideal balance. The soybeans are great for protein, either on their own or with Kaki no Tane, but whatever you do you have to try the plum flavoured Kaki no Tane. The resealable zipper is a great feature too, so I highly recommend stocking up on these!”
P.K. goes for crunchy snacks, making him the ideal partner for Ahiruneko’s snack-fuelled drinking session.
So there you have it — 10 top ideas from our Japanese-language reporters, who’ve been shopping at Daiso all their lives. Which one was your favourite set? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to keep an eye out for these products next time you’re browsing the aisles!
Photos ©SoraNews24
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