Aug 21, 2013 - 2 min read

Daiso Aoyama 100 Yen Plaza

Okinawa's most popular chain of 100 yen stores

By Michael Flemming

Community writer

It's a Daiso store, but most simply refer to it as 100 Yen Plaza

Seeds for 100 yen? No, its two packets of seeds for 100 yen, plus another 5% for tax

This contraption made of hard plastic keeps a banana inside a lunchbox from getting prematurely smashed

Japanese gift envelopes have wonderfully unique and attractive designs

The toy aisle is packed with goodies for just 100 yen each

The 100 yen coin banks transform into 300,000 yen but only if you put 500 yen coins in all the way to the top

Tools for the sandbox are located right underneath the fireworks, which are among the exceptions to the rule of everything costing 100 yen

Unbelievable prices for a wide selection of chop sticks

The quality of the laquerware and other china are good regardless of the price, and the selection is exceptional

Checking out at 100 Yen Plaza is very easy, just have 105 yen ready for each item in your basket

Daiso Aoyama's 100 Yen Plaza is the most popular chain of "dollar" stores in Okinawa.

The Japanese seem to have gotten this retail segment perfected. The stores are packed with a wide selection of everyday needs and specialty items with quality that exceeds what you might expect from a deep discount retailer. Japan is known for having inexpensive and interesting gadgets as well as ingenious designs all of which proliferate the aisles at 100 Yen Plaza. Banana cases, tiny trash cans, large coin banks, beautiful laquerware, laundry accessories, pet items, tools, hardware and office supplies unique to Japan make for an impulse shopping environment that won't hurt the pocketbook. It's a joy to shop here, even with children as they won't be asking to buy a $40 toy, not even close to that. Visitors will find an impressive array of snacks and drinks to select from, and lots of good souvenirs and household items to show off back home. Not everything in the store is priced at 100 yen, but the vast majority of items are. The store I visited is the large location on Route 23 in Chatan, but 100 Yen Plaza has dozens of locations throughout Okinawa. Each store is open from 10:00 ~ 21:00. Japanese tax is 5%, so expect to pay 105 yen for each item.