100-Yen Shops (2004-06-30)
100-Yen shops are like Dollar Shops in the United States. Every single merchandise in these shops costs only 100 Yen (about US$1). The items they stock aren't all tacky either. Large 100Yen shops carry anything from good quality stationery to foodstuff. Something I always get from a 100 Yen shop are tapes, notebooks, floor wipes and some kitchen supplies.
The largest 100-Yen shop I've seen is in Machida (
). It occupies
an entire building with five huge floors. Since it is too far
from our apartment, I usually go to the one in Shinjuku (
). It is
located on the top floor of the eight-story Subnade Mall, a few minutes
walk from JR East Exit. I often see Hong Kong tourists browsing
in that store. There must be a Tokyo guide book telling Hong
kongers about the shop because it is not easy to just stumble upon an
eighth-floor shop. When I see those tourists, I often pretend to
be a local and listen to what they have to say about the shop and
Japan. I don't even have to stand too close to them because they
usually talk quite loudly. It is fun when people think you don't
speak their language and in fact you understand every single word they
say. May be one day I'll go up to them and tell them in
Cantonese, "I absolutely agree with you." Wouldn't that surprise
them!
Something as mundane as browsing a dollar shop can be fun if you know how.
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