100 Yen store (Jee In Chung)

 Although I've lived in New York for many years, I feel like the pricing in Japan is higher than in New York. So, let me tell you the secrets of surviving in Tokyo without going "too broke". The greatest invention in Japan is truly, the "100 YEN" (Japanese: hyaku en shop or one coin shops) stores. The concept is similar to the dollar stores in Canada and the US, except the variety is greater and everything in the store is no more than 100 yen. There's not a single product you will have trouble finding in a 100 yen store. They have everything from food to kitchenware, stationary to household goods, and even items suited for the bed and bathrooms. Due to a 5% Japanese consumption taxing, each product is actually worth 105 Yen. There's more than a thousand 100 yen stores all across Japan, and the market leader, Daiso, is planning an expansion in the market.
 The first one I've been to was the largest one in Central Tokyo, at Takeshita Dori, called Daiso Harajuku. Being the largest store of this type in Tokyo also comes the large, daily customer crowd. In the midst of shopping there, I got the feeling of being in a Costco store, just smaller. Also, if you are in need of cheap clothing, there are many clothing stores around Harajuku. Harajuku is the "teenage street" lined up with trendy clothing stores, small accessory stores and reasonable restaurants for college students. Not to mention the delicious crepes! If you happen to be on the taller side, I would also recommend Uniqlo and H&M, which provide fashionable and cheap clothing. You won't have much of a problem finding these stores, as they can be found in the well known shopping and commercial districts of Tokyo.
Every time I walk into a 100 Yen store, I feel like it's okay for me to buy more than 10 products at a time. I believe that each item is worth more than the final price of 105 yen. Because of this, I do have the tendency to sometimes overindulge in shopping at these stores, and thus, end up spending more than initially planned.

      There is another store called Lawson 100 which is basically a 100 Yen store except it's supervised under Lawson. Lawson is the name of  one of the top leading conbini stores in Japan. The only way to differentiate Lawson conbini stores to Lawson 100 is the 100 sign. I go to Lawson 100 if I want to go to grocery shopping, looking for fresh vegetables and fruits; Whereas, 100 Yen Store focuses more on selling dry food and snacks. Lawson 100 also has a great variety of fresh food including ice cream! I hope 100 Yen store will support your economic, thrifty living in Japan!