When they’re done holding your keys, let your anime keychains start a second career decorating your home.
If you’re a long-time anime fan, odds are you’ve at some point purchased a keychain shaped like one of your favorite characters. As a matter of fact, it’s likely you’ve obtained more than one, since in the modern era there’s a higher volume of charismatic character-centric Japanese animation being produced than ever before.
That presents a bit of a problem, though. Most of us only use one keychain at a time. Maybe you have a job where you also keep a second set of work keys together, but really, two is about as many keychains as just about anyone is likely to have in current use.
So what do you do with your old keychains when you move your keys over to a new one? Sure, they may by three-dimensional like other figures, but since they’re designed to hang from a strap, they aren’t balanced or stables enough to stand up on a shelf alongside to the rest of your plastic anime heroes and heroines.
Thankfully, there’s a display strategy display idea that’s both incredibly clever and incredibly cheap, and which requires only a few items items from popular discount retailer Daiso.
https://twitter.com/m132465n/status/811390844045406209ラバストぶら下げても良いんじゃないかな!
— 工藤戒(ღ′◡‵)イケメン不足 (@whitecrysta_Kai) December 22, 2016
※セシルさんを袋から出したくないのでバッツさんでやりました( pic.twitter.com/kmb4Knb6Eb
You’ll need a pack of metallic organizer rings, some compact yet “super strong” magnets, and a clear plastic containers. Since Daiso is a 100 yen shop, each item will only set you back 100 yen (US$0.85).
Once you’ve gathered your supplies, remove the figures from their original chains and cords, then thread the rings through the remaining openings on the prongs extending from their heads. Next, place the figures inside the case, position the magnets along the top of the lid, and just like that, the characters will appear to be standing straight up, thanks to the magnetic field tethering them to the top of the case.
While Daiso is based in Japan, the chain has expanded to numerous countries around the globe, and honestly you can probably find similar items at just about any home improvement center or hardware shop. So if you’ve got room in your heart for more anime characters than you have keys to assign to them, a quick trip to the store should have all you need to give your old keychains a new role decorating your living space.
Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s now really wishing he’d hung onto his P-chan keychain after the chain snapped.

Daiso has awesome, and super-affordable, background boards for your anime figure photos!【Pics】
Life hack from Japan unveils a clever way to display anime figurines
100 yen store chain Daiso opens online shop with 30,000 items to choose from!
Daiso DIY anime art! How to make awesome acrylic character blocks with 100 yen store parts
A visit to the largest Daiso 100 yen shop in all Japan【Photos】
We revisited Sweets Paradise after a decade to see if Japan’s dessert buffet still delivers
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
One Piece devil fruit ice cream coming back to Baskin-Robbins Japan
Japanese group to hold fashion show of colostomy bags and other stoma equipment in Paris
Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to the best Turkish rice restaurant in Nagasaki!
How to speak Japanese like a gyaru【2024 edition】
The best Starbucks Japan Frappuccinos we want to drink again in 2026
Japan has a bondage bunny character with its own line of kinky cute merchandise
The mystery of the phantom “sake pass card” at Japanese alcohol vending machines
TIL: Table tennis tables are blue because of a Japanese comedian’s random comment
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
Cyberpunk anime meets traditional culture in Ghost in the Shell gold leaf Japanese changing screens
7 great places to see Mt. Fuji from without having to climb it
Hello Kitty Choco Egg figures are an adorable trip through three periods of Japanese pop culture【Pics】
7-Eleven Japan’s ramen-cooking robot whipped us up a bowl of noodles【Taste test】
We found possibly the quietest Japanese-style hotel in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district
Japan’s otoshidama tradition of giving kids money at New Year’s gets a social welfare upgrade
Sumo Sanrio! Hello Kitty and pals team up with Japan Sumo Association for new merch【Pics】
More Than a Capsule Stay: Why Solo Travelers Choose “global cabin Yokohama Chinatown”
Japan’s oldest largetooth sawfish in captivity back on display in Mie Prefecture
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Daiso recalls cut-your-finger joke knives for being REAL cut-your-finger knives
How to make a mask out of a sock in two minutes with no sewing skills
Awesome life-size anime figure display exhibition opens in Tokyo this month
Daiso will help you warp your reflection with a psychedelic infinity mirror for under five bucks!
Daiso creates its own collectible trading card game, and yes, the packs are just 100 yen【Video】
Here’s why you should be careful when buying a coffee cup from Japan’s 100 yen stores
Let’s stick hot, cheap electronics near our eyes with Daiso’s heated eyelash curler!【Experiment】
Daiso opens massive new 25,392-square foot Tokyo flagship store with its two sub-brands included
Daiso sells “emergency shelters,” and they have an amazing visual trick【Photos】
How to make a super simple, super cheap, no-floorspace Christmas tree with stuff from Daiso
Anime fan shares ingenious lifehack to hang posters without putting holes in your walls
Five Daiso souvenirs you should buy in Japan right now
Can you buy everything you need for an overnight camping trip at Daiso? Let’s find out!【Photos】
64 Sanrio characters, decades of kawaii culture history all on one cup from 100-yen store Daiso!【Pics】
How to make a mask out of a coffee filter in just seconds
Leave a Reply