百均
ひゃっきん
hyakkin
= 100-yen store / discount variety shop
Hyakkin (百均) refers to Japanese discount stores where most items cost exactly 100 yen, offering everyday goods at extremely low prices—a uniquely Japanese retail concept and shopping cultural phenomenon.
Literally ‘100 yen uniform price,’ hyakkin stores (like Daiso, CanDo, and others) offer an astonishing variety of items—kitchen tools, office supplies, cosmetics, snacks, seasonal decorations—all or mostly priced at 100 yen. This pricing model emerged in the 1980s and became integral to Japanese consumer culture. Hyakkin shopping reflects Japanese values of value for money, practicality, and finding joy in small purchases.
Hyakkin stores are ubiquitous in Japan; even tourists visit them for affordable souvenirs and daily items. Note that not all items cost exactly 100 yen—some are 200 or 300 yen, but the concept remains ‘super affordable.’ ‘Hyakkin e iku’ (going to the 100-yen store) is a common casual phrase. These stores have minimal packaging waste, appealing to environmentally conscious shoppers.
百 (100) + 均 (uniform/equal) = hyakkin. 百 means 100; 均 means even or balanced, referring to uniform pricing across most items.
Everyday use
引越しするときは、まず百均に行って、安い食器やタオルを買う。
Hikkoshi suru toki wa, mazu hyakkin ni itte, yasui shokkki ya taoru wo kau.
When moving, people first go to hyakkin to buy cheap dishes and towels.
Casual / Social Media
百均は、季節ごとに新しい商品が出るので、何度も行きたくなる。
Hyakkin wa, kisetsu goto ni atarashii shōhin ga deru node, nando mo ikitaku naru.
Hyakkin stores introduce seasonal products, so people want to visit repeatedly.
Formal / Cultural context
経済的な理由から、日本の低所得家庭は百均を生活必需品の主な購入先としている。
Keizai-teki na riyū kara, nihon no teishotoku katei wa hyakkin wo seikatsu hitsuyōhin no omona kōnyūsaki to shite iru.
For economic reasons, low-income Japanese households rely on hyakkin stores as a primary source for necessities.
Hyakkin stores represent postmodern Japanese retail innovation—they democratized access to goods and created a cultural phenomenon where shopping for mundane items became entertainment. Social media features ‘hyakkin hauls,’ and TV shows highlight ‘hyakkin gems’ that consumers discover.
The 100-yen store concept reflects Japanese economic efficiency and consumer psychology. After Japan’s 1990s recession, affordable luxury (owning nice things cheaply) became central to middle-class identity, and hyakkin embodied this shift.
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