Cheap is Good!

Gift-giving is big in Japanese culture, and not just on birthdays and holidays. So whenever I go to Japan, I bring back a load of presents for friends and family in the U.S. But I’m not made of money, so I buy all my presents from a place called Daiso, where everything is priced at 100 yen (about $1). Sure, call me a cheapskate, but believe me, there’s so much cool stuff here you wouldn’t think twice.

Daiso stocks over 90,000 items, from Japanese soda candy to cool lunch tupperware to funny English signs to hang on your bathroom wall. There’s also your share of traditional Japanese-y stuff like chopsticks and rice bowls that I’ve seen other American tourists buy in bulk. I mean, seriously, you can buy a handcrafted pair of chopsticks from some old man’s shop atop a remote mountain ($$$) or you can get a pair from the 100 yen shop. Will your grandma in Detroit know the difference? I bet not.

Daiso stores are located all over Japan and they’re usually HUGE. I’m talking 2-3 stories high. My advice: bring a separate suitcase just for your Daiso purchases. And now the store is open in Seattle, San Francisco, Canada and online too. I’ve yet to visit them so go check it out for me and tell me what you think! (^_^)V

Himawari

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