[Sangetsu]

At the local supermarket a 500 ml bottle of Coca-Cola costs 87 yen. At 7-11 the same bottle costs 127 yen. From a vending machine the price goes up to 150 yen.

100 yen shops have lots of uses, but you have to be careful of some of the things you buy there, they are often of very poor quality, and do not last long. 100 yen shops sell lots of name-brand soaps and detergents, but many of these items are Chinese knock-offs with counterfeit labels, and will not work as well as the real thing.

You can usually find the real items at Plaza stores (common in larger malls and shopping centers), or the American Pharmacy in Ginza or Marunouchi. The prices here are higher, but you get what you pay for.

My local 100 yen shop is huge, and has all kinds of items. In the late summer it even sells giant rhinoceros and wood beetles, complete with cages. The only things I usually buy at the 100 yen shops are drain nets for my sink, staples, glue, and tape for work, and boxes for files.