On Daiso

The Daiso store in Chinatown Settle is across the street from Uwajimaya, the expensive Asian grocery chain.

Daiso, as we know, is a very popular chain of Japanese stores selling quality japanese products for cheap. It has been copied innumerable times by Chinese clones such as 'Miniso' -- who appears to be doing quite well after copying the branding wholesale--, Yubiso, Mumuso, and Uniso, the final one perhaps an attempt to confuse the casual shopper into assuming it to be an agglomeration of Daiso and Uniqlo, the other East Asian brand that's had a cult following behind it in recent years.

I'll cut to the chase: I liked the store, it's got most of the things I wanted at very reasonable prices and I can't speak on the long-term quality of their products but they're easy to use and ergonomic. They seemed to be well-designed and I have no complaints about the functionality. I have found that the japanese thrift store has used items for a higher price than a comparable item in function and appearance, at Daiso, brand-new.

I've mostly bought small kitchen utensils, storage containers, and cute design things at the store, and have been satisfied. A large canvas shopping bag that I bought a few weeks ago for a buck-fifty has been my trusty long-term companion during my regular trips to the shops.

This is a work in progress, more incoming.