Featured

100 yen shops

A visit to the largest Daiso 100 yen shop in all Japan【Photos】

What wonders await in this massive seven-floor Daiso just outside Tokyo? Come with us and find out!

Read More

Daiso recalls cut-your-finger joke knives for being REAL cut-your-finger knives

Cheap joke item could lead to gruesome disfigurement thanks to terrifying packaging snafu.

Read More

Let’s find the Japanese full-face visor best suited for your grandmother or handmaiden

No mature woman’s ensemble would be complete without their own Imperial Guard mask.

Read More

How to put together an earthquake/typhoon preparedness kit at the 100 yen shop

Japan is a country of violent storms and seismic activities, but also amazing discount retailers that can help you deal with natural disasters.

Read More

Does Daiso’s fork designed especially for pasta live up to its name? We find out!

You may think you don’t need such a frivolous item, but we’re here to tell you that you do.

Read More

Japan’s 100 yen stores have canned energy drink cocktails for under a buck, so we tried one

Truly, there is nothing you can’t find at Japan’s 100 yen stores.

Read More

Who knew Daiso’s 100-yen kitchen knives can become shockingly sharp with the right tools?【Video】

The knife may be less than a buck, but it can hold an amazingly sharp edge if you’re willing to spring for a nice whetstone.

Read More

Travel tip: 100 yen shop solves the “What do I do with my trash?” problem visitors face in Japan

A clever solution to one of the biggest annoyances about traveling in Japan.

Read More

Disney wants you to dress up the objects that give juice to your electronics

If you ever thought your charging brick looked painfully boring, Disney has a set of stickers just for you.

Read More

Seven more handy, bargain-priced items from Japan designed to make life easier around the house

Once again, Japan’s 100-yen shops prove that they are truly on the next level.

Read More

100-yen gyoza gadget helps you make delicious dumplings in the blink of an eye

Fulfill your craving for gyoza dumplings anytime, anywhere with this popular device from Japanese 100 yen store chain Daiso.

Read More

Japanese discount store’s line of Love Live! anime merch all costs less than five bucks

Even the thriftiest otaku can spare 300 yen for his best girl, right?

Read More

All the smartphone accessories you’ll ever need – only 100 yen each!

With the fierce competition in the 100-yen market, it is no wonder that discount chain stores in Japan are leveling up their game with more variety and more attractive products, all for the same cheap price of 100 yen (under US$1). That said, we were still pleasantly surprised when we came across this amazing list of all the accessories you can get for your smartphone for just 100 yen each – even things Apple officially retails at nearly 20 times the price!

Read More

From Portable Toilets to Fake Eyelashes: A Guide to Japan’s Awesome 100 Yen Shops

There’s no denying that 100 yen shops in Japan are great. They sell everything from soft drinks and chocolate to reading glasses and ashtrays, all for ridiculously low prices, and the quality of their merchandise is surprisingly good.

Of course, not everything is 100 yen (US$1.20), but it’s rare to find anything costing more than 400-500, and the variety of products available is astounding. But with so much on offer at such a low prices, it’s easy to throw things into our baskets without really thinking about how much we’re spending, and on more than one occasion I’ve found myself buying things that I didn’t even know I wanted.

A six-pack of AA batteries for 200 yen? You never know when they’ll come in handy! A pair of mugs featuring the Japanese and UK flags? How could I not? An in-car charger for my iPhone? At that price I’d be mad not to buy one, right!?

But are these things really worth buying? As cheap as they are, in the long run are we actually wasting our money?

Well, luckily for us, Japanese website Zasshi News has, with the help of an extensive consumer survey, compiled a list of items to avoid and things that we should snap up from 100 yen shops whenever we can…

Read More

The Top 9 Things That Surprise Foreigners the Most About Japan

If you have ever been outside your own country, you most likely have experienced some form of culture shock.  In fact just visiting another city or town can make you aware of how things are done differently all over.  In Japan, some things are so surprisingly different for foreigners that there is some uniformity in the shock value.  Any Japanese with their eyes and ears open can be aware of what is most shocking to many foreigners.  It is makes for fascinating conversation, “What is most surprising about Japan to foreigners?  I heard…”  This riveting subject matter prompts reflection, a moment of feeling good about one’s culture, sprinkled with the ability to and laugh at oneself.

Here is a list of 9 things foreigners experience when first visiting Japan (according to Japanese columnist Ryoko Kozakai over at Excite, at least):
Read More

Fashionistas, Take Note: These Hot iPhone Covers Are Just 100 Yen!

There is a shopping wonderland where every item is only about a buck and you can buy pretty much any daily necessity and a whole lot of stuff you didn’t even know existed. This fabled place is the Japanese 100 yen shop, and it’s head and shoulders above the dingy dollar shops you know from home. You can even pick up a stylish cover to pimp your iPhone, with an unexpected abundance of styles and colors to satisfy even the most demanding fashion divas.

Of course, price is one thing, but quality is also going to be a major factor. Can decoration-loving fashionistas really buy with confidence? Can these cheap covers really protect our all-important iPhones? Rocket News decided to find out.
Read More