We always need little hooks for knickknacks and whatnots. They're easily found at ¥100 shops, available with sticker backs, suction cups or tiny nails. The sticker versions are to be avoided, though—you don't want to be pulling away pieces of the wall when you move out! Most apartments also won't let you put holes in the walls, so if you go with nails, make sure they're so small they won't be noticed when you take them out.

While you can spend several times the price at a home center, it's really the soap that's going to make the difference, not the bristles.

Many apartments won't let you smoke inside, but it's still handy to have a lighter in the house. You can also find scented candles in the shop to use them with.

Depending on the style of your apartment, there's a good chance you'll have a two-burner gas stove sitting in a cutaway section of your counter. If you want to keep the surrounding surfaces clean, it can be a good idea to buy aluminum stove liners to pick up stray oil and sauces.

Most Japanese kitchen sinks will have traps for catching food waste. You might want to get a liner net to cover the trap to make it easier to clean. If you buy nets that are too big, no worries—just cut them in half. In fact, you may want to trim them anyway to keep them from popping up out of the drain.

Why spend real money on a drying rack when you can get one for just ¥100?

Many people carry handkerchiefs in the summer to dab sweat off their brows as the temperature rises. You'll find face towels in the same area, all for the same low price.

¥100 shops will often have an array of garbage bags in different sizes. Disposal made easy!

Sponges just need to soak up water, not the money in your wallet!

Don't you hate it when you just need one more clothes hanger? The ¥100 shop has you covered—often in sets of five!

You can get a lot of your basic cooking utensils at the ¥100 shop as well. Cutlery is available, too—just check the necks of the spoons and forks. If they're too thin, there's a good chance they'll bend in use. If the ones you've found seem too weak, either try to find some with a different shape, or head to another ¥100 store and compare the selection. You can usually get three to four knives, forks or spoons for just ¥100!

You can find cups, plates, bowls, glasses and more at any decent ¥100 shop. They'll last you as long as any other kind of tableware at a fraction of the cost. You may have to shop around a bit for full-sized plates, but they're out there. Just try a bigger store!