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100 Yen Shop Must-Haves for School and the Office

Handy Buys For Work Or The Classroom

By Rachel Crane |
October 1, 2024 |
Careers, Families

Japan’s 100 yen shops are loved nationwide for offering an amazing range of affordable products, including some ingenious accessories for your desk.

If you’re starting a new job or getting the kids ready for school, then it’s time to head to the 100 yen shop. Here, you can kit out your school or office desk or fill your child’s school bag without breaking the bank. You can buy the following goods at Japan’s top 100 yen shops or online at Daiso, CanDo and Seria (in-store only).

Zebra Mildliners

Highlighters in Japan come in some very aesthetically pleasing shades, and Zebra Mildliners are among the most famous brands. Beloved of stationery addicts, they come in a rainbow of colors and have both flat and fine-tipped ends. They’re perfect for subtly highlighting your most important notes and can be layered or combined for more oomph.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Memorization Set

This memorization set comes with two plastic sheets and two marker pens, each in red and green. It’s the perfect kit for exam revision. Simply highlight the key information in one color, cover it with the opposite-colored plastic sheet, and watch it disappear. All that remains is to test your memory!

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Pen Holder with Smartphone Stand

Products that roll two accessories into one are a specialty of the 100 yen store. This phone stand/pencil case is a great example, giving you two sets of storage for the price of one. It’s especially useful for anyone who regularly uses their smartphone as a second screen for work.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Keyboard Cleaning Gel

Getting dust and crumbs out of your office keyboard can be a headache, but this cleaning gel is an ingenious solution. Sticky and malleable, it might remind you of kids’ slime, but it’s surprisingly functional. Simply dab the cleaner over your keys and watch the dirt adhere and lift away.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Seria (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Cable Clips

Most of us have several devices at work on our desks every day, each with its own charger cable. Keeping all those cables straight can be a hassle, but these adhesive cable clips will stick to the surface or the side of any desk and keep your workspace clear of tangles.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Neko Fusen Sticky Note & Pen Holder

If you prefer your stationery on the kawaii (cute) side, then 100 yen stores are here to oblige. These Neko Fusen Sticky Note Holders are just one series of desk accessories that are both kawaii and functional. Doubling up as pen pots once opened, they’re super cute and seriously collectible.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Anti-Blue Light Glasses

Blue light from digital devices is known to interfere with our natural desire to sleep. So, if you’re working late into the evening, you may want to pick up a pair of these glasses, which have lenses specifically designed to filter out blue light. These handy specs may also help with light sensitivity and dry eyes.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Hiragana Name Stamp Set

Labeling school things is all part of the new-term routine. These rubber hiragana (Japanese phonetic script) stamps help you keep your kid’s name clear and uniform across bags, pencil cases, textbooks, notepads, stationery, lunch boxes and the rest. Easy-to-read hiragana can also help kids identify their own items, and not bring someone else’s home instead!

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

School Bag Cover and Chest Strap

Japan’s Randoseru school bags are iconic. They’re also expensive and heavy for little kids to lug around when filled with school books. But the 100 yen store has a few accessories to help keep them in great condition and make them easier to carry. Plastic covers protect bags from the elements, while adjustable chest straps help distribute their weight a bit more evenly.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Map of Japan Drip Mat

Drip mats can be laid under sheets of paper for easy writing, as well as used for cleaner arts and crafts. This one comes with a detailed map of Japan design, so it doubles up as an educational tool for kids to learn about geography and practice reading some tricky kanji.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Word Card Flip Books

These word card flipbooks are perfect both for kids studying a second language at school or adults brushing up for the JLPT. All you need to do is write a word in your target language on one side, and a native translation on the other. Daiso sells them in convenient packs of four, so there’s plenty of space for all the vocabulary you need to learn.

Price: ¥110
Shop: Daiso (Similar items are available at other 100 yen shops too.)

Electronic Memo Pad and Calculator

This handy calculator allows you to keep note of your sums as you go. With a 4.5-inch electronic memo screen and stylus, it’s easy to use and saves you from turning to your smartphone or PC calculator app. It’s also ideal for school maths lessons when electronic devices aren’t allowed.