A lot of people talk about Daiso and going to Daiso to buy this and that.
And some may wonder, why so much attention is paid to a Japanese dollar store?
In Japan, Daiso is one of the largest 100-yen shops and they sell thousands of goods cheap (many made in China). The first store which opened in Japan back in 1991, is popular among consumers who want to shop for basic things and not pay a lot in retail. It’s similar to the concept in the US, the difference are the products sold.
Typically, when you go to the store, you will find things sold as 100-yen, 200-yen, 300-yen and up to 500-yen and in the US, the same concept for Daiso Japan stores, but instead of yen, dollars ($1, $2, $3, etc.).
Japan has 2800+ Daiso stores, South Korea has 975 stores, Philippines has 52, while the United States has over 50 stores nationwide. And many more stores worldwide!
There are differences between the products sold in Japan and what I see in the US. In fact, in Japan, they do a fine job promoting their new products ala social media, especially on Instagram.
Daiso Japan in Los Angeles
While I personally don’t frequent Daiso all that much, I do occasionally when I’m visiting H Mart or Curry House in Los Angeles’ Korea Town’s Madang Plaza Shopping Mall. And in Japan, Once in while, I’ll visit the Daiso in Harajuku.
Here in the US though, I like going to Daiso to find cheap dusters and mop slippers. And you’ll find somethings that may be quite useful such as simple things such as Japanese kitchenware, Japanese ornaments, bento lunch boxes, Japanese snacks or USB chargers for 3DS video game consoles. But I see more people crowded around the Japanese snacks in order to get their Pokky fix.
While those who partake in company Christmas exchange gifts for $10 or less, will go to town on sake sets or ceramic gift sets. And I have to admit, checking out the ceramic bowls and sake sets, for the price they sell them for, it’s actually pretty good.
There is a lot to purchase at Daiso Japan but for those on a budget, I can see why people may get excited over the products sold at the stores. Especially if you are into Japanese or Asian culture or just head over heels over Japanese pop culture.
