New Daiso Product Has Manga Lovers Swooning


Consumers in Japan and abroad have loved the discount home goods chain Daiso for years. Now, a new product is thrilling manga lovers at home and overseas.

The allure of Daiso

For those who still may not know, Daisao (ダイソー) is a 100 yen shop chain in Japan run by Daiso Industries. (The kanji for the store and company name are 大創 but the stores go by the katakana rendering.) The chain is prevalent in Japan and runs some 3,300 stores.

Daiso got its start in 1980 when Yano Hirotake began selling goods he could get wholesale for around 100 yen. Eventually, however, he hit his limit in the quality of products he could offer. So he shifted to producing goods of as high a quality as he could while remaining under the 100 yen market in order to clear a profit[1].

From there, the store grew from its beginnings in store parking lots and shared tenancy in supermarkets to the retailing behemoth it is today. Today, Daiso rules Japan’s 100 yen shop scene, raking in growing profits. The store increased its revenues by 4.4% YoY in 2021-2022 alone[2].

Daiso isn’t just popular in Japan, either. The chain now has around 2,000 stores in 26 other countries. Both Japanese citizens and foreign residents swear by the shop as a great way to buy cheap household goods of fairly durable quality.

Sadly, time makes fools of us all, and this “100 yen” shop has been forced to raise their prices to a shocking 110 yen per item. (Non-Japan stores have different base prices; e.g., in the United States, most items retail for around USD $1.50.) The store also sells numerous larger items that carry a slightly higher price tag.

Front like you live in a bookstore

Ask people what they like to buy most from Daiso and you’ll get different answers. But there are some common themes. According to the site Iemone, Daiso customers are particularly fond of the company’s storage solutions (i.e., drawers, shelving, etc.)[3]

So it’s no wonder that Twitter users are going gaga over Daiso’s latest product. Manga fans, especially, are smitten with this latest offering.

The product? A Manga Display Shelf. The shelf is designed to fit onto the end of shelves on a bookcase. Avid readers can then put their favorite manga on full display on the endcaps. Basically, you can turn your home into a bookstore.

The shelf was designed in conjunction with designers at Kyoto College of the Arts. Many Japanese users instantly fell in love with the new product. One user commented, “My wife got rid of a bunch of my books in a decluttering but they multiplied again like a mountain. I need this.”

Global manga fans also reacted enthusiastically to our tweet about the manga shelf. Our own retweet of the Japanese original post did almost 3,000 likes and 80 quote retweets. One user said: “Omw to buy this and display my bl manga collection like how a bookstore does.”

Still other users saw other clever uses for the new product:

Sadly, it’s not clear when – or if – this amazing product will hit non-Japanese Daiso stores. (We didn’t find it in a recent perusal of Seattle-area shops.)

Other hit 2022 Daiso products

This isn’t the only new product Daiso has released in 2022. Every year, the store puts out new merchandise hoping to find the next hit that takes Japan – and the world – by storm.

Buzzfeed Japan has a comprehensive roundup of 97 new products from Daiso released this year (because of course they do). Some of the most interesting[4]:

  • A spice bottle carrying kit for camping. Pack your peppers, oregano, oils, and other spikes in this six-bottle carry pouch so you can season your food while you while away your time in the great outdoors. (This one will set you back 550 yen, FYI.)
  • A bangs anchor net to prevent your bangs from falling down into your eyes. (My wife just hairsprays the living hell out of hers. There are multiple paths to 絶対に崩れない前髪, I guess.)
  • A “notebook” that’s actually a little whiteboard! You can leave a note for your spouse propped up on the table – and then reuse it the following day. On the other hand, this would be a horrible way to come home and find out your marriage is over…

Keep a lookout for these at your local Daiso. Or, if you’re traveling to the country soon, maybe bring an empty suitcase with you.

What to read next

Your dad will love these Japanese products

Sources

[1] Daiso. Wikipedia JP

[2] 100円ショップ業界の動向やランキング&シェアなど. Gyokai Doko

[3] 【ダイソーマニア100人が選ぶ】人気リピ商品ランキング|編集部おすすめ91選も. Iemone

[4] 【2022年版】ダイソーの最新おすすめ人気商品97選!スマホ、扇風機、ライトなど. Buzzfeed Japan

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