Commuting pass and the 100 yen shops (Yu Jin Yi)

Japan is infamous for its expensive living cost. These days, especially when the
currency exchange rate is high between Korean Won and Japanese Yen, the living cost
seems almost dreadful. Regardless of the exchange rate, however, the living cost in
Japan is notorious worldwide. Recent Mercer Cost of Living Survey – Worldwide
Rankings, 2009 has released that Tokyo and Osaka rank number one and two on the list.
In particular the transportation fee and the price of daily necessities are very
expensive. About 2000 won would be enough to travel around the entire Seoul with the
subway, whereas the same amount of money would be barely enough for five stations
on the subway in Tokyo. In case of daily necessities, though there aren’t any clear cut
standards like that in subway, arguably most of the products are more expensive than
those in Seoul.
This excessively high living cost is not just a problem for Koreans in Japan.
Japanese themselves face difficulties in coping with the high cost of living that they’re
constantly thinking about how to save best—and with that mindset behind, commuting
passes and 100 yen shops started to thrive in Japan.
In Korea, the concept of commuting pass is a bit aloof. It is a pass used while
taking the subway or the train, and after buying the pass no matter how many times one
rides the train the fee is fixed within a certain section at certain period of time. This
commuting pass is crucial in living the life in Tokyo, as the transportation fee shrinks
down in a huge amount. In my case I have bought the commuting pass from where I live
to my school, and it’s about 3000 yen cheaper to buy a pass per month than just take the
train.
Another niche market in Japan is the 100 yen shops. In Korea one of the 100
yen shop brands Daiso has launched its branches quite a bit, but there are more than just
Daiso in Japan. 100 yen shops literally sell all the products at the same price of 100 yen
(on the side note, the name really is misleading—it should be 105yen shop since there’s
five percent tax), and most of the goods there are so-so in their qualities. Japanese
people often buy their daily products at 100 yen shops, since everywhere else is so
overpriced (another side note—not all the products in the 100 yen shops are cheap.
Some products like cookies or notebooks that are in average 80 to 90 yens in average
markets are also 105 yen in 100 yen shops).
Besides the commuting pass and 100 yen shops there are other niche markets
that flourish mainly because of the overpriced living cost in Japan. Okashinomachioka is
a store that only sells cookies and sweets, and it sells the snacks in a very cheap price.
These shops are the Japanese way of coping with the high living cost.

January 8, 2011