View source for 100-yen shop

{{Short description|Type of Japanese shop akin to dollar store}}
[[File:Daiso 100Yen.jpg|thumb|Daiso at [[Hanaten Station|Hanaten]], [[Osaka]]]]
[[File:100-Emon.jpg|thumb|100-Emon at Kohnoike, [[Higashiōsaka]], Osaka]]
{{Nihongo|'''100-yen shops'''|100円ショップ|hyaku-en shoppu}} are common [[Japan]]ese [[Retail|shops]]. Stocking a variety of items such as decorations, stationery, cup noodles, slippers, containers, batteries, spoons and bowls, electronics, each item is priced at precisely [[100 yen coin|100 yen]],<ref name="bowl">{{cite news |title=End of iron rice bowl |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes20000103-1.2.42.1 |work=The Straits Times |date=January 3, 2000}}</ref> which is considered attractive to Japanese consumers because it can be paid for with a single 100-yen coin. However, the current Japanese [[consumption tax]] of 8% (food and drinks) or 10% (other items) is also added, making a 100-yen purchase actually cost 108 or 110 [[Japanese yen|yen]].<ref name="jguide100yen">[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2077.html "100 Yen Shop"],''japan-guide.com'', 15 February 2018</ref> Larger items, like furniture and tools, may also cost more yet are still relatively affordable, usually costing less than 1000 yen. 

The four major chains are [[Daiso]], Seria, Watts, and Can Do, which combined have over 5,500 locations across Japan as of 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tofugu.com/travel/seria-100-yen-shop/|title=Seria: Japan's Best 100 Yen Shop|first=Mami|last=Suzuki|date=August 24, 2015|website=Tofugu}}</ref> A variation of the 100-yen shops are 99-yen shops.<ref>{{cite web|title=In Japan, the 99 Yen Store Becomes a Retailing Force|url=https://csnews.com/japan-99-yen-store-becomes-retailing-force|website=Convenience Store News|access-date=15 February 2018|date=13 July 2005}}</ref> [[Daiei]] also operates 88-yen stores. Some shops, such as [[Lawson (store)|Lawson]] 100, specialize in certain items, such as groceries or natural goods, but this is less common than the variety store model.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stores in Japan|url=http://lawson.jp/en/store/japan/|website=lawson.jp|access-date=15 February 2018}}</ref> 

As of 2018, Daiso has over 2,800 stores throughout Japan, with 20-30 new stores opening every month.<ref>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.daisoglobal.com/about/history/|website=Daiso Global|access-date=15 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221165721/http://www.daisoglobal.com/about/history/|archive-date=21 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Corporate Profile|url=http://www.daisoglobal.com/about/profile/|website=Daiso Global|access-date=15 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403080136/http://www.daisoglobal.com/about/profile/|archive-date=3 April 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Corporate Information|url=http://www.daisostore.com.au/corporate.html|website=Daiso (Australia)|access-date=15 February 2018}}</ref> One of the largest 100-yen shops is the Daiso in the Tokyo neighborhood of Harajuku. It spans four stories and over {{convert|10,500|sqft|m2}}.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bargain hunting at Japan's 100-yen stores|url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-xpm-2010-jun-27-la-tr-100yen-20100627-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=27 June 2010 |access-date=15 February 2018}}</ref>

Similar shops have opened around other parts of [[Asia]] as well, some operated by Japanese companies such as [[Daiso]], which now has branches in 25 countries outside of Japan.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/features/jg00041/|title=Japan's ¥100 Shops|date=2016-04-23|work=nippon.com|access-date=2018-08-22|language=en}}</ref> In [[Hong Kong]], department stores have opened their own 10-dollar-shops (JPY140) to compete in the market, thus there are now "8-dollar-shops" (JPY110) in Hong Kong, in order to compete with those lower prices.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}

100-yen shops are able to keep prices down by purchasing goods internationally and in [[Bulk purchasing|bulk]]. These goods come from countries with lower production costs, namely [[China]] and [[Thailand]].<ref name="jguide100yen" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.daisoglobal.com/about/logistics/|title=Logistics │ About DAISO │ DAISO JAPAN|last=higuchi|website=www.daisoglobal.com|language=ja|access-date=2018-08-22|archive-date=2018-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919130021/http://www.daisoglobal.com/about/logistics/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:日本初の100円ショップ「ライフ」.jpg|thumb|Japan's first 100-yen shop]]

The concept of stores that sell products at a uniformly low price dates back to the [[Edo period]], when shops selling items for 19 [[Japanese mon (currency)|mon]] and later 38 mon were popular.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%8D%81%E4%B9%9D%E6%96%87%E5%B1%8B-526582|title=十九文屋(ジュウクモンヤ)とは}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=お江戸の意外な商売事情 リサイクル業からファストフードまで|last=中江|first=克己}}</ref> By the [[Meiji period]], this had expanded to clothing stores and food stands, and stores selling only 1-yen items were not uncommon<ref>{{Cite book|title=時代を変えた江戸起業家の商売大辞典|last=ISMPublishingLab|publisher=ゴマブックス|year=2013|location=Japan|chapter=江戸っ子の品質が生んだ食料品の百円ショップ|asin=B00FKX8B4Y}}</ref> 

The first 100-yen shop in its modern form was opened in 1985 in [[Kasugai, Aichi|Kasugai]], [[Aichi Prefecture|Aichi prefecture]] by Akira Matsubayashi, the founder of the company Life Standard. It was called '100-yen Shop' (100円ショップ).<ref>{{Cite book|title=100円ショップ大図鑑：生産と流通のしくみがわかる：安さのヒミツを探ってみよう|publisher=PHP研究所|year=2005|isbn=4569685587}}</ref> This model was eventually adopted by [[Hirotake Yano]], the founder of [[Daiso|Daiso Industries Co. Ltd.]], who opened the first Daiso store in 1991. 

Sales of 100-yen shops were "expected to top more than 100 billion yen" in the 1999 financial year.<ref name="bowl"/>

==See also==
{{commonscat}}
* [[Bulk purchasing]]
* [[Variety store]]
** [[Dollar Tree]]
* [[100 yen coin]]
* [[General store]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{varietyStores}}

[[Category:1985 establishments in Japan]]
[[Category:1985 introductions]]
[[Category:Retail companies of Japan]]
[[Category:Variety stores]]
[[Category:Retail companies established in 1985]]