All About Japan

7 Oddly Useful Items from the ¥100 Shop

Shopping Cheap Stationery ¥100 Life in Japan Study in Japan

You might be surprised what new items your local ¥100 shop has in store. With plenty to choose from at incredibly low prices, you can experiment with these new products without worrying about the cost of investment. Let's take a look at seven must-try items!

7. Hairbrush Mesh

Have you ever had trouble getting the hair out of your brush? Here's one solution: put this mesh net around your hairbrush before using it. When you're finished brushing, the hair can easily be removed along with the net. Problem solved!

6. Can Rack

The deepest part of the refrigerator is very much like The Twilight Zone. Because of poor access, you might even forget what's living (maybe even growing) back there. To keep your cans sorted and to quickly pull them out in an orderly way, grab one of these can racks!

5. Toilet Brush with Mirror

This is one of those inventions you might not have thought about that'd likely make your life easier. We often don't see the edge of the toilet and what's hiding on the underside. But near the end of this brush is a mirror that allows us to see and clean what we might have missed before. You can flush at ease after properly cleaning your toilet now!

4. Power Scissors

Typical scissors need a lot of force to cut through things like cardboard or the thick plastic of credit cards. However, these durable scissors not only save you money, but also muscle power. Made for heavy cutting, they can cleanly cut through those tougher materials with easy-to-grip handles.

3. Window Alarm

3. Window Alarm

http://item.rakuten.co.jp/mantenpuraza/makoto150/

Planning on going away for a weekend and looking for a little peace of mind? This window-mounted alarm will help you relax while you spend time away from home. When your window slides open, the alarm goes off to alert your neighbors and drive away a would-be burglar. Keep in mind, however, this is suitable for sliding windows only.

2. Remote Shutter Release for Smartphones

For many, the selfie stick was the greatest cellphone add-on of all time. Now why not upgrade and give a remote shutter release a try? The remote shutter release allows you to take pictures from a distance instead of holding your phone (or selfie stick) in your hand. Use it with your favorite tripod to get perfect pictures without any distortion from moving the camera during use. These are presently for the iPhone only, however—Android users may have to wait a bit.

1. LED Candles That Extinguish When Blown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS9f0h4iCuA

Want the smooth warm light of a candle without the danger of fire? These candles may just be your next favorite purchase. And, like real candles, you can actually blow them out when you're done! The secret: inside the candle-inspired lamp is a motion sensor. If you blow into the sensor, it will extinguish the fire! You won't believe that this ingenious candle is only ¥100!