Because most Japanese apartments are not furnished, buying furniture is something you cannot avoid when moving in. To make this a bit easier, this article will give you a tip for furniture hunting in Japan.
Don’t forget to measure your room carefully before you actually purchase furniture because Japanese apartments are much tinier than western ones.
1. Online
A great deal of attention has been paid to online shopping along with the popularization of e-commerce even in the furniture industry in Japan. No need to carry heavy furniture from a store to your home and thanks to today’s developed logistic system, you can get furniture within as early as a day after your order.
Also, going to a furniture store can be very stressful and time-consuming for you because of the language barrier.
Amazonand Rakuten are the two most popular EC platforms in Japan and they have many reasonable furniture as well.
2. Second-hand shops
If you don’t mind used stuff, second-hand shops can be a good idea for you because there is more chance that you can get furniture at a much lower price. Japanese 2nd hand shops do have a wide range of stuff, which are maintained in surprisingly good quality stuff.
These are the recommended Second-hand shops in Tokyo.
2nd-Street
2nd Street is one of the biggest second-hand companies that run over 700 shops all over Japan. Their lineup is very wide-ranging from small things such as clothes, kitchen utensils, and daily necessities, to larger things such as furniture, electronics, and bicycles so you can get pretty much everything that is necessary to start a new life. They also sell stuff online though it’s safer for you to check things with your own eyes.
The shipping service is available in 2nd Street so you don’t have to bring a car there. You can also sell your stuff to them. They accept pretty much anything as long as they are not too damaged.
Treasure factory
Treasure factoryis a Tokyo-based popular recycle shop in Japan and their service is very similar to 2nd Street.
3. Flea Market
The roots of the so-called “flea market” are the “Flea Market” that was originally held in various parts of France.
Based on the idea of “Mottainai” and the idea of saving resources and energy, including environmental conservation, Japanese people bring unneeded items and recyclable items to parks and plazas for sale, exchange, and reuse. You can find flea markets in Japan here.
Jimoty
Jimotyis a kind of Japanese version of Craiglist where people exchange things.
If lucky, you might be able to get furniture for free because there are people who just want to get rid of them. In most of these cases, you need to either go pick it up or pay their shipping fee. One thing you should be careful about is their quality. Since there is no one who evaluates the quality of the thing, you might get a crappy one.
4. 100 yen shops
100 yen shop in Japan is something like “DOLLER TREE” in the U.S (if you are familiar). Not only do they have a wide range of products, but the quality of their products is like “how can these be only 100 yen” .
Daiso
Daiso is a Hiroshima-based largest 100 yen company in Japan. Daiso’s strength is their product lineup. They offer so various products that there is a saying there is nothing you can’t get in Daiso.
Seria
Seria is another popular 100 yen shop in Japan and what makes Seria different from other companies is that its products are ”おしゃれ” (fashionable).
Although their line up is less than Daiso if you want to buy things that look more fashionable, Seria is the place to go.
Can Do
Can Do’s feature is a kind of mix of Daiso and Seria. They offer both only multifarious products but fashionable products as well. Can-do is the newest 100 yen shop mainly covering city areas
5.Furniture retail store
Nitori
As the most popular furniture retailer in Japan, Nitori offers a wide range of products at very reasonable prices. Nitori sells not only furniture but kitchen utensil Nitori’s concept is “お値段以上”, which means “Worth more than the price” and their products really are. If you would like new/inexpensive furniture in Japan, Nitori is where you should go to.
Muji
Muji is short for Mujirusshi Ryouhin (無印良品), which means no-name good products in Japanese. You might have seen Muji because they have over 1,000 stores in total, including 550 stores in foreign countries. Muji’s concept is minimalism, thus their designs are basically quite simple and eco-friendly, which enables them to offer good quality products at reasonable prices. Free shipping service is available for larger orders as well.
IKEA
IKEA probably doesn’t need an explanation. This Sweden-based global furniture retail store has 9 stores in the outskirt of city areas in Japan and offers a pretty similar service to other country’s. You can buy pretty much anything you need to start a new life and they have a delivery and assembly service as well. Ethnic cuisin is also available in IKEA, so this option can be good for you if you are seeking something familiar.
MATSUSOU
If you are looking for Japanese-style luxury furniture, I recommend you check MATSUSOU.
MORISHIGE was established in Hiroshima prefecture, west side of Japan, and they offer super luxury furniture. Their concept is mixing authentic Japanese style and modern style without a single compromisation and they consider each piece of furniture as art.You will be amazed by how sophisticated their furniture is.
Don Quijote
Although Don Quijote isn’t a furniture retail store, what you cannot get in Don Quijote are cars and houses. They sell pretty much all kinds of stuff. And what makes Don Quijote special is their pricing. No other stores sell at a cheaper price than Don Quijote in Japan. They also have a “If you find the same product at a lower price in another store, we will sell it at that price” policy.
This is where Japanese younger people go to buy stuff and stores everywhere in Japan. I highly recommend you go check the price in Don Quijote before buying all things you need.
Furniture Hunting in Japan
Since a normal apartment is not furnished in Japan, buying furniture is one of the first things you need to do after your arrival. However, buying furniture not only can cost you a lot but can be stressful especially when you are about to start a new life in Japan. I hope this article helps you smooth your furniture-hunting and save some money.
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