From Japan's famous 100 yen shops like Daiso to market wares and souvenir hunting, here's a breakdown of the best items to bring home from Japan (and how to save big).

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Let's Talk Luggage

First of all, don't show up to Japan with just a personal bag or a carry-on. You're going to need a full sized suitcase (I recommend my favorite wine suitcase here if you plan to bring home alcohol souvenirs), and you need to research the weight limit for your airline before coming home.

I say this at the start of my article, because I had to BUY luggage when I got to Japan once I discovered how many incredible things there are to buy in Japan.

What to Buy in Japan: The Absolute Musts

I don't know you, you don't know me, but in my mind these things are non-negotiable for a trip to Japan:

• A REAL Kimono (preferably from a hand-me down store for ultimate authenticity)

• Japanese whiskey, Sake or even Japanese Gin (consult my advice again on the perk wine suitcases for this purchase)

• Kitchenware like dishes for dumplings, sake bottle and glass sets, chopsticks (and chopstick holders!), tea sets, rice bowls, and basically anything that with amp up your post-trip Japanese meal at home.

• Quirky toys for the kids in your life - origami paper, miniature everything, very Japanese products (like wax food figure or kawaii cuteness), manga books, and so forth

• Food products: I brought home a ton of spices like wasabi salt, tempura salt, 'Meat Man's Spice', five spice, and other seasonings that caught my eye. Bring home jars of chili garlic, wasabi flavored bar snacks, and other easy treats for bragging about your travels over dinner with friends

• All things green tea: from Match Kit-Kats to mochi, face creams, snack packs and just plain old tea, this is a must.

Aside from these "musts", I think it will be evident what to buy in Japan the moment you see it. From wacky and wonderful to tasteful and traditional, Japan is full of incredible purchases to savor those memories for years to come.

Find items from appropriately named "kitchen streets" selling shops and shops full of household kitchen items, to local markets selling Japanese knives (another must) and unique food products.

But my favorite place to buy most of these items? 100 yen shops.

What Is a 100 Yen Shop?

Like the United States' dollar stores, a 100 Yen Shop is essentially just that - a place full of all sorts of wares all for the low low price of 100 Yen.

The Dollar Tree, where I practically buy all my inexpensive gift items and home needs in America, recently raised their prices from $1 to $1.25, now expanding to $5 and higher, so to find thousands of items in these 100 Yen Shops for less than $1 is mindblowing to this American mama.

And the great thing about the Japanese 100 Yen Shops? The quality is great! Think of stores like Miniso or Ale-Hop - these international brands are known for selling kitschy little items at a decent quality and Daiso and other 100 Yen Shops are no different.

Unlike the rather un-American goods at the Dollar Stores at home, at the Japanese 100 yen stores you will find very Japanese things from kawaii cutie toys to offbeat man goods and even better, you will find Japanese housewares and food stuffs that you cannot find in the states cheaply.

How Does Pricing Work in a 100 Yen Store?

Simply put, everything in the store is 100 Yen unless specifically marked otherwise in the top right corner of the product.

You may see things that say 200 yen, 300 yen, and the highest I recall seeing was for 550 yen. At less than $5 USD, that's still a steal.

What Are The Top 100 Yen Shop Brands?

• Daiso

• Seria

• CanDo

What Can You Buy in Japan With 100 Yen?

Buckle up, because the list is crazy! You can literally find anything at these stores, and each one is slightly different than the last.

Souvenirs and Gifts

Stock your goody bags here!

• Fans

• Father's Day Gifts

• Mother's Day Gifts

• Birthday Gifts

• Keep Your Kid Quiet at the Dinner Table Gifts...which leads me to:

Toys

• Kawaii plush toys

• Tiny everything (tiny erasers shaped like food, tiny dolls, etc)

• Dry erase and sticker books

Stationery

• Wedding Cards

• Notebooks

• Origami paper

• Fun writing utensils

Cosmetics and Toiletries

• Toothbrushes

• Make up remover

• Face masks

Purses and Bags

• Phone purses

• Clutch bags

Jewelry and Hair Accessories

• Clips

• Headbands

• Hats

Food and Drink

• Snacks

• Coffee drinks

• Dry goods like ramen

• Spices

• Utensils for kids

• Chopstick helpers (makes a great gift for your kid's daycare class!): get them now on amazon

• Chopsticks of all varieties

• Bento boxes and lunch boxes

Kitchen Items

• Rice bowls

• Soup bowls (get them now on Amazon)

• Sushi plates

• Pots and pans

• Linens

• Sake sets

Very Japanese Items

• Plastic crates with Japanese writing for doll houses

• Various sized tatami mats (we use them as a "traditional Japanese bed" for my daughter's smaller plush toys)

(Buy something similar now on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3nn3f9y)

• Sakura everything - from fake leaves to full on table decor for a party

• Coverings for arms (common to see women wearing these as protection from the sun)

Side note and shameless plug for my book:

Have your children learn more about "very Japanese things" in my children's activity book, "Scavenger Hunt Japan: A Kid's Travel Journal". With countless activities, writing prompts, challenges and more, your kids will be more engaged than ever on your family vacation and learn a lot!

Check it out here!

Meanwhile, the list continues...

Outdoor Supplies

• Camping gear like flint and steel, fire starting fibers, and other totally specific but very useful items!

• "Men stuff" like grill grates, BBQ tongs, fire resistant gloves and stainless steel soap are common and very fun to look through for gift ideas.

Electronics

• Chargers

• Cables

• Lights

As you can see, this list is long of souvenirs to buy in Japan.

Things to Consider When Shopping in Japan

In many stores, especially Daiso, if you need a bag expect to pay a bag fee, which is minimal - around 5 cents.

Items are not bagged for you. You must take your shopping basket or items over to a side table to keep the flow of people moving through the cashier lane, kind of like going to Aldi in America.

Stores are often multi-level in Japan, so don't assume the floor level is the only part of the store.

Which 100 Yen Shops Are The Best?

The most popular stores are Daiso and Seria, but similar stores include the '3 coins' store, the aptly named '100 yen shop', Lawson, and 'CanDo' store.

In truth, they are all about the same, although some bloggers suggest that Seria is the fancier among them.

Where Can I Find a 100 Yen Shop?

Daiso, Seria and some of the lesser known stores are best found by stumbling upon them. Often situated in the most touristy or populous areas of Japan, these amazing stores can be seen in malls, storefronts, and even tucked away in hidden staircases above grocery stores.

Just google "100 yen shop" or "daiso near me" when you're there to get going in the right direction, but if you want to start somewhere, try the giant Daiso store in Asakusa, located at Japan, 〒111-0032 Tokyo, Taito City, Asakusa, 1 Chome−25−15 ＲＯＸ４階. It's located in a mall with several levels, including a 3 Coins Store in the same mall as well.

100 Yen Shops Outside Japan

You can even find these stores outside of Japan! On our recent cruise ship stop in Busan, South Korea, we were delighted to find a Daiso offering items for 1,000 won (basically the equivalent of $1 or 100 Yen).

According to WikiPedia, "Daiso has 3,620 stores in Japan, and nearly 2,300 stores overseas in Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, and Vietnam."

Hooray!

Naturally, I needed to know where to find one in my state, so here's the list from Daiso itself! Unfortunately, it looks like I need to take a drive to Texas or New York, but once you're Daiso-obsessed like me, you'll see that this is a totally sane and reasonable reason to take a road trip.

100 Yen Shop Online

Don't fret, though - if you can't make the drive, Daiso has an online store. Check out the Shop Daiso USA Online link here!

100 Yen Shops Are For Lovers

Lovers of inexpensive things at high quality, that is. I flipping loved the 100 Yen shops and jumped with joy upon sighting them every time. Do yourself a favor and keep an eye out for a Daiso, a Seria, or any of the other 100 Yen Stores next time you are in Japan or large Asian cities. The myriad of options to take home is worth buying the extra carry on bag for 200 yen - I did! Happy Travels, shoppers.