Visit Japan > lifestyle > Lots of variety, and also popular as gifts! Searching for 100 yen treasures

2013.09.13

Lots of variety, and also popular as gifts!
Searching for 100 yen treasures

100 yen goods (105 yen with tax) continue to evolve, improving in quality and design and increasing in variety. At 100 yen shops, there are lots of excellent items that will shock you with their low price of 105 yen! We will introduce 25 carefully selected 100 yen treasures, which we recommend for gifts as well. (top image: Daiso)

A great selection of inventive lifestyle goods that are convenient and fun to use!
“Daiso Arcakit Kinshicho Shop”

Daiso, which has 2,700 Japanese locations and 700 overseas locations in 25 countries, is distinctive for its wide product lineup, ranging from food products to household goods. 99% of its products are developed in-house, and the company states they are making an effort to create products that add value to basic households goods through such aspects as convenience and cuteness.

The “Daiso Arcakit Kinshicho Shop,” which we visited this time, is one of Tokyo’s leading large-scale locations. The shop boasts an inventory of around 30,000 items, with 100 new items being added every month! In this feature, we have picked out items with a focus on top-selling inventive lifestyle goods.

From the left are a “Tomato Slice Holder,” which can cleanly slice tomatoes, a “Corn Cutter,” which can instantly separate kernels of corn from the cob, and a “Corn Peeler,” which can quickly and efficiently peel off corn kernels.

On the left is an “Egg Opener.” It’s great for cutting off the top of the egg shell in a circular shape for hard-boiled eggs, raw eggs, and more! On the right is an “Egg Hole Opening Tool,” which punches a small hole in a raw eggshell. Boil the egg after punching the hole to prevent the shell from cracking, making it easier to smoothly peel off the shell.

If you use the “Soft-Boiled Egg Ball” on the left, you’ll be able to easily make soft-boiled eggs in the microwave! On the right is an “Omelet Pan,” a microwave cooking tool which lets you quickly make a nicely shaped mini-omelet.

On the left is “Simple Eco-Friendly Wrap,” which you can wash and use repeatedly. You can attach it to a container and use it in the microwave or refrigerator, so it’s extremely convenient! The “Silicone Stretchable Wrap” on the right is also reusable. You can use it as a bottle opener as well!

These are “Collapsible Flasks,” which are 105 yen apiece and collapse into a compact size after you’re finished drinking. You can wash them and use them repeatedly, so the price is shockingly low! They're made so that when they're filled with water, they can stand on their own.

These are “Pasta Caps,” which are 105 yen apiece and become caps for your bag of pasta when you attach them to the opening at the top. You can take out 1-person portions (100g) or 1.5-person portions (150g) of pasta.

This is a “Cultivation Kit,” a set which contains vegetable seeds, a pot, potting soil, and rocks to fill pot bottoms. How about cultivating healthy plants and then using freshly picked leaves in your cooking? In addition to the watercress in the picture, there are eight other types, including green onion and Italian parsley.

Daiso Arcakit Kinshicho Shop
Arcakit Kinshicho 7F, 2-2-1 Kinshi, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-5637-1271
Shop Hours: 10 AM - 9 PM
http://www.daiso-sangyo.co.jp/shop/index.php?prc=detail&sid=7122
http://www.daiso-sangyo.co.jp/

A wide variety of kitchen goods with Japanese taste!
“bana bana Shimokitazawa Shop”

“bana bana” is a shop that features a wide variety of general goods with refined taste and with the concept of “producing a lifestyle that is a rank above.” Currently, the Shimokitazawa Shop is the only location in Tokyo, but step inside the shop and you will be overwhelmed with the number of items here.

There is a rich variety of lifestyle goods such as small kitchen items, tableware, and towels, and you can feel the shop’s commitment to style in all of the designs. There is a particularly rich selection of Japanese-style goods, so it’s the perfect place to choose gifts with Japanese charm! 80% of the store’s items are 105 yen including tax, so don’t forget to check the price tags while you're shopping.

From the left are “Ceramic Chopstick Rests” in a cute dog shape, 105 yen apiece, as well as “Chopsticks,” 105 yen per pair, and “Wooden Chopstick Rests,” 105 yen apiece. There are usually 30 kinds of chopsticks and 10 kinds of chopstick rests in stock, so there's a great chance you'll find a design that suits your taste!

Here are a “Lacquered Ladle with Holes” and a “Lacquered Ladle.” These items are great to enjoy for one-pot dishes, a Japanese winter standard. You can stir the contents in the pot, or using the ladle with holes, you can scoop up just the ingredients without the soup.

These are “Serving Chopsticks,” 105 yen per pair. They are 1.5 times longer than normal chopsticks and are used when cooking or for serving food.

These “Small Bowl Packs” come in small and large sizes, each 105 yen. Use them as containers for meals, and if side dishes are left over, put the lid on top and put them right into the fridge. They’re also microwavable.

These are “Craft Bowls,” 105 yen apiece. These rice bowls come in handy for placing ingredients on top of rice to make donburi (rice bowl dishes) or pouring tea over rice to make ochazuke (tea over rice).

These are “Ichi-go (180 ml) Sake Bottles,” 105 yen each. Pour Japanese sake from full-sized bottles into these containers, and then use them to pour the sake into cups. The shop also sells several types of cute cups, so how about putting together a set and then enjoying authentic Japanese sake at your home?

This is a “Ceramic Cup” with a cute, colorful dot pattern. You can even serve tea to guests using this--with this level of quality, surely no one will realize that this cup was 105 yen. This is a bargain item--you’ll want to put together a set of three or four!

bana bana Shimokitazawa Store
Shimokitazawa Fujima Building 1F, 2-9-3 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-5465-0849
Shop Hours: 11 AM - 8 PM  
http://www.banabana.co.jp/shop/tokyo/index.html
http://www.banabana.co.jp/

A look at products for the interior with uncompromising functionality!
“Seria Asakusa EKIMISE Store”

"Seria" is a fashionable 100 yen shop with lots of support from female shoppers. This chain has opened 1,104 locations around Japan and is praised for the rich function and design of the products it has rolled out, as well as its fashionable shop layout.

For this feature, we visited the “Asakusa EKIMISE Shop,” which is said to have a comparatively high number of shoppers from abroad. Inside the shop is an extensive selection of kitchen goods and storage items, and it’s shocking that they’re all 105 yen, including tax! Within this selection, the interior goods and relaxation items are so cute you'll want to snatch them up as a gift for someone.

This is an “Interior Table Center (Elegant Rose).” It’s a tablemat with chic colors and a lace motif. You could also lay it on a shelf and place small items on it. It comes in brown, ivory, and green, and is 105 yen for each tablemat.

On the left is an “Interior Wooden Display Shelf,” which lets you fashionably display your favorite items. On the right is an “Interior Wooden Partition Tray,” which is perfect for decorating with small art accessories or storing small items such as beads.

This is a “PP Basket DVD Size,” which has a length of 21 cm, a width of 15 cm, and a height of 8 cm, snugly fitting market DVD cases. It comes in brown and white to match any room, and each basket is 105 yen.

These are “Long Gloves Dot M.” With rubber gloves this cute, even gardening work or washing dishes could be fun! Just setting them out will surely add a sparkle to your kitchen. They come in purple and green, and are 105 yen per pair.

This is an “LED Candle Light,” a candle that does not use fire, so you can relax and enjoy it. You’re sure to be soothed by the flickering of the LED light!

This is a “Color Sola Diffuser Rose,” an air freshener for the interior. The scent and color of the oil travel through the white sola flower, so you can enjoy the sight of the sola flower gradually gaining color.

Seria Asakusa EKIMISE Shop
Asakusa EKIMISE 7F, 1-4-1 Hanakawado, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-5830-7760
Shop Hours: 10 AM - 8 PM
http://www.seria-group.com/

* The products featured for each shop are items at the time of coverage, and they may be sold out or made unavailable.

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