Tuesday 13 March 2007

STORES

100 Yen Shops (Japanese: hyaku en shop) sell a wide range of products for 105 Yen per item (100 Yen plus 5 percent consumption tax) and they are very common in Japan. This corresponds to roughly 1,00Usd per item or 1,00Eur, making the shops a great source for travelers and residents on a budget.

There are thousands of 100 Yen Shops across Japan, ranging in size from multi-storey "department stores" to small corners in shopping malls. Market leader Daiso operates over two thousand stores nationwide and pursues an aggressive expansion policy.


The 100 Yen Shops are able to offer an amazing range of products at a price that is often below the product's actual value. You can find products such as: plates, rice and miso soup bowls, tea cups, sake sets, forks, kitchen knifes, dippers, microwave containers, coffee filters, detergents, aluminum foil, hammers, measuring tapes, pliers, screw drives sets, cutter knifes, boxes, report pads, memo pads, pens, pins, calligraphy brushes, ping-pong sets, swimming goggles, English-Japanese dictionaries, etc... The garden variety 100 Yen store consists of mountains of plastic baskets and buckets in lurid shades of grossness, make-up for kids, and Christmas stocking-stuffers and a lot of things!!

If you live in Japan, especially in Kobe area, I will help you to find a 100 yen shop close to your house. Here you will find the stores that I’ve been already. I will inform you how to get there and also I will describe a little bit what each one of them has.

Enjoy your time here and if you have some information for another 100 Yen shop, please let me know and I write it in the Blog! Tchuss

Kobe

The city of Kobe is where the biggest shops of 100yen are located. There are two shops "Daiso" and one shop "Can-Do", in them you will find a great variety of products. Through the shops Daiso it is possible supplies your entire house.

Between the products we find: utensils for kitchen, products of cleaning, accessory for bathroom, products of personal hygiene, products of gardening, tools, cosmetic, small products for fitness, toys, curtains, towels for table and for bathtub, carpets, cushions, office products, Cd's, books, maps, products for animals, bags, products for massage and relaxation (oils and aromatic candles), etc.

How to arrive there:

1) Daiso:
You have to go to the JR Kobe train station. Go out from the station, take the right and go down the escalator for the basement. Go straight in the left side to the shopping center with doors glasses beside the escalator. Enter in this Shopping center and go up to the last floor. The Daiso is on the left side for whom it comes from the outside or in front of escalator.


2) Daiso - Promena Building:

Go to JR Kobe train station. Go out from the station, take the right and go down the escalator for the basement. Go straightly on the left side up to the end of the corridor, turn on the left, towards the building of Promena. The shop Daiso is located in 7F and 8F of the building of Promena.

3)Can-Do:
This is a nice shop, it is a relatively big and with a nice variety of products. They also have a different suppliers. To arrive there, go up to the JR Kobe train station. Go out from the station, take the right way and go down the escalators towards the basement, go straight to the end of the corridor of the left side. Take the escalator towards the MCDonalds, then take the other escalator. After you go out from the escalator, turn the left and go out to the street, then turn the right, walk till the traffic signal. Cross the street and enter in the Shopping Center, towards "Harborland", where it has the department of shops "Hanshin". Then, cross the shopping center and before raising the escalators, at the end to go to the Harborland, there is an escalator on the right side. Take the stairs and go down for the basement, turn the left. The shop is on the left side in front of the supermarket.

Motomachi / Sannomiya

To find the shops of 100 iens of Motomachi is very easy!! While disembarking by the train in the JR Motomachi station, use the South exit (towards the sea). Cross the street and to go to the pedestrians' street, which is just 600metros. Enter in the pedestrians' street (Kobe motomachi - according to the photo), 3 blocks walk, the shops of 100 yen are practically facing each other. The "100 yenshop Meets" stays on right of the street and the " Crystal shop" is on the left. The two stores are small, but they have a reasonable variety of products.

The products between the shops are differentiated, then it is advisable to visit both of them!!!!
Good luck!!

Sannomiya

Directions:
Train line JR: western exit, towards the south, of the station of SANNOMIYA.
Train line Hankyu: eastern exit, towards the south, of the station SANNOMIYA.
Train line Hanshin: catraca south, towards the south, of the station SANNOMIYA.
Subway-line NISHI JIN - YAMANOTE: sense HIGASHI GUCHI, towards the south, of the station SANNOMIYA.
Subway-line KAIGAN Station SANNOMIYA HANADOKEI MOTHER: when number went out 4, towards the south.

In Sannomiya there are located 5 Hyaku-en shops, the Daiso, Il Piatto, the Natural Plenty, the bana-bana and Shop 99. In each one of them we find a big variety of products.

1. Daiso - This shop is the biggest of them and we find many diversified products for the entire house. Go to the train station of Sannomiya for the line JR or Hankyu, or follow the directions above. The Hankyu train station inside the JR train station. At the Sannomiya JR station, go out from the station for the North exit, towards the department of shops " Oi Oi " or Commercial Center of Sannomiya, which is crossing the street. Go straight to the pedestrians' street (Commercial Center), turn on the right in the pedestrians' street and go straight to the end of the second block, then turn the left and enter on the right in the building " Sportsworld 33 ", the building has 6 floors of shops of clothes and sporting accessories. The 100 yen shop locates in 7 floor.



2. Natural Plenty - This is a very cute store, small shop, with products of good quality and very nice taste. This shop is in the basement near to train station and to the subway. At the JR Sannomiya train station, go down the escalators for the basement, then you have to enter in the "street" between the Radio-station and the shop of clothes for babies and kids on the right. Then you have to go straight till to the end of this corridor. In the end, turn the left, towards " Starbucks ", to enter in this building, go straight to the right side in direction to the last shop. The Native Plenty is on the corner, it is the last store.

3. bana bana - Are you looking for baskets, wood products?

It has just found!! This is a shop of 100 yen specialized in wooden products. They are all hand-made, several baskets, in several sizes. The shop also sells accessories to kitchen, stylized plates, several types of pots, metal adornments, cups...

The access for the bana-bana is very easy: go up to the Sannomiya train station for the line JR or Hankyu. The train station of the line Hankyu leaves inside the train station of the line JR. From JR Sannomiya station, go out for the North exit, towards the department of shops " Oi Oi ", go straight, pass in the street of pedestrians/Center Comercial and enter in the next street on right, go straight, the bana-bana is in this street, from the right side, parallel to the pedestrians' street.

4. Il Piato - it is a small shop and very cute. The products vary between accessories for the garden, bathroom, decoration, utensils for kitchen...

The access for "Il Piato" is simple: first follow the above steps to reach shop "bana-bana". So, once you be in front of " bana bana ", go straight untill the next block, cross the "street" and enter in the building on the left, which it has the shop of the Disney. Il Piato stays in 5F, in front of shop of the Disney.

5. Shop 99 -

This is a 100 yen shop basically of foods and drinks, though one finds also utensils for kitchen, bathroom and office, but in little variety.
Between the items they have: breads, cookies, cookies, snacks, instant-pasta, Japanese foods, fruits, potato-chips, sweets, chocolates, compotes, jams, honey, flour, yogurt, a good variety in drinks, like milk, soft drink, water, tea, coffees... how to get there??? Asap I will tell you - sorry.

Rokkomichi

Here we can find three Hyaku-en shops:



1. "Daiso 1" - go up to the JR-Rokkomichi train station. When cou go out from the station, turn the right, go straight, then you will see some shops and you have to pass the escalator on right side, continue go straight and raise a small staircase (five or six steps). Continue go straight and cross the pedestrian's bridge to reach the another building, then turn the right and enter to the left side in the door glasses shopping, beside the travel agency. The 100 yen shop is behind the escalator, on the same floor.

2. "Daiso 2" - to get this 100 yen shop, you have to follow the steps above till the door-glasses shopping, but not enter in the shopping, continue go straight and cross the another bridge, to reach the another building, in the other side of the street. As soon as you enter in this building, you can see the Daiso. If you wanto to go from the street, just enter inside the supermarkt, go up to the escalator, you will be in front of the 100 yen shop.


3.This shop has a Japanese name, which means: " tomato ... ". It is small and narrow shop, due to quantity of offered products. The shop is located from another side of the JR-Rokkomichi train station. Go out from the station, turn to the left side. In front of the station there is a shopping center, turn the left between the shopping center and the train station, go straight to the street and turn on the right and go up to the end of the block. The shop is going to be from another side of the street, in the corner, opposite to the shopping center.

Konan Yamate



At the station JR Konan Yamate locates one of the biggest Daiso shop. Go out from the station, turn right, enter in the walk-passage under the station and cross to the another side, then turn left and turn right on the next street, walk a little bit and enter in the SELVA building on the left side of the street. The Daiso 100 yen shop is in the 4f and definetly they have a lot of products to offer to you!!

Okamoto

You will find in Okamoto a shop of 100 iens a little more sophisticated, called "Kichen Kichen". It is a nice and a charming shop. You can find items for the bathroom, like bath towels, face towels, carpet, accessories..., decoration articles, but most of the products of the shop are items for kitchen.


To arrive there, go up to the train station of "Okamoto" in the line Hankyu. Go out from the station on the right side (towards the sea and not the mountain), go to the street on right, walk approximately 500 meters, the shop is from the left side of this street, parallel the train station.

Here you can also find a "Daiso" shop. Just go out from the "Okamoto" station, in the Hankyu line, turn right and enter in the Coop supermarkt, go up the stairs till 3F. The whole floor belongs to Daiso and here you will find products for your entire house.

Amagasaki

Very close at the station you will find another Daiso 100 yenshop. To reach the shop you have to go to JR Amagasaki station. Go out for the Central exit and turn the left, go straight and cross the passage for pedestrian (the bridge), turn the right, go straight and turn left in the shop at the end of the "street". The 100 yenshop is on the right at the entry.

Osaka

In Osaka area there are several shops of 100 yens, but I am going to mention here only one of them, which are located near to train station of Umeda. It is Kitchen kitchen. For a refined taste, this shop is my preferred one, it is so cute!

To get the Kitchen Kitchen shop, go to Umeda-Osaka, you can use the Hankuy, JR or Hanshin train lines or by Subway. From de Umeda-JR station, go out by Central Gate and turn right, towards Clock direction, follow the signs towards Midosuji-line turning the left, follow in front up to the street. Cross the street and continue in front, soon the front turns the left towards Hankyu Umeda Station.

The kitchen-kitchen is on the B2F, the shop number is 70, she is located in the front of a small shop of imported products. This is a shop of hyaku-en (100 yen) quite charming. Between the variety, they offer many items for kitchen, bathroom, office, small plants for decoration, etc.


B2 Floor