Best Place to Buy Dishes in Tokyo

My family and I just got done with a major move, and the things that usually break in the process are dishes.  At least that has been the case in all of my many previous moves.  In fact, that was one of the things that drove me and my wife to look for new dishware when we were living in Tokyo just before here--we had to replace the things we lost and we figured it was high time to upgrade anyway.

So we set about looking for dishware in the part of Tokyo most known for it: Kappabashi.  Little did we know that it was NOT the best place to find dishes.  Sure, we picked up a few nice bowls from there that we still love, but for those everyday, in and out of the cabinet and sink and back again dishes, there is really only one place to go: Daiso.

I know what you're thinking: "You got your dishes from a 100 yen store?  They must be so tacky."  Sure, Daiso has some tacky dishware made in cheap factories in China, but the store also offers made-in-Japan dishes that are simple with enough style to justify bringing home with you.  Also, they are extremely sturdy--[knock on wood] we have yet to break a single dish from Daiso.  Now, they are a little pricier than 100 yen, coming in around a whopping 300 yen per plate for the nicer options.  We brought home an entire set of dishes for six people for 3600 yen, when something comparable to that in Kappabashi would have cost at least 30,000 yen.

So maybe if you're looking to have the Pope over for dinner, Kappabashi would be a great place to get some interesting dishware, but if you live in Tokyo and are just looking to satisfy your family's needs, look no further than your friendly neighborhood Daiso.