Cheap Furniture for your Apartment in Japan

Apartments are great. The cost to furnish one is less so. Even the bare minimum of furniture – bed, closet, table, fridge, washing machine – can quickly cost you 20,000 Yen or more a piece. If you would like to get your apartment set up for cheaper than keep on reading.

Chain stores

Large chain stores are the first stop, when furnishing a new place. For furniture of all kinds Japan has Ikea, Nitori, and Muji. Electronics stores like Yodobashi or Bic Camera are usually the next stop for TVs, fridges, washing machines, etc.

All these stores offer good quality, stylish, and budget-friendly options. Buying everything new doesn’t mean that you cannot save some money. Opting for a futon instead of a bed, buying a smaller fridge, skipping the closet for a clothes rack, shelves or an arrangement of neat boxes, and more are all ways to lower your total cost.

Good for: Furniture, electrical appliances, home accessories

Recycle Shops

If you don’t mind second-hand than recycle shops, which are dotted all over the cities, to find good deals and easily save around 50% compared to buying everything new. At recycle shops you can find everything from wardrobes and bed frames, fridges and washing machines, to hairdryers and towels. As the name suggests, recycle shops typically resell used second-hand items, but they also have the occasional unused outlet items marked as (未使用, みしよう) on their shelves like desk lamps and towels.

You can find big stores that offer most everything and small corner shops that have a random variety of items. Check out a couple of stores to get a sense of prices. Recycle shops usually offer delivery option for a separate fee that is calculated based on the number of items and distance to your place.

Good for: Furniture, electrical appliances, home accessories

Sayonara Sales & Online

If you don’t want to roam the city visiting recycle shops, you search for second-hand furniture The only downside is that if you buy from individuals instead of shops, you will have to organize transportation yourself.

Sayonara sale is a term for when foreigners are leaving Japan and selling all their stuff. Craigslist and other classifieds are also good options. Prices really depend on condition and person but from time to time you might even find someone giving stuff away for (almost) free. If you are comfortable with Japanese the online flea market site mercari is also worth a look. On the site people sell everything from beds to stickers, just make sure to check where the seller lives before you buy bigger items.

Good for: Furniture, electrical appliances

Lifestyle stores

Lifestyle stores have a bit of everything. Selling everything from cosmetics to stationary, they also offer have electrical appliances like desk lamps, hairdryers, humidifiers, kettles, and more. At Don Quijote (often called ドンキ) you can also buy things like bedding and carpets at low prices. Look at the walls in the staircase for posters that advertise furniture they sell but cannot display in the shops itself.

If Don Quijote is famous for selling all sorts of costumes, Loft is stationary-heaven. Boxes, pillows, chairs, and more can be found if you walk past the pens and notebooks. Loft is not exactly the cheapest place, but if you are looking for that one iconic piece to make your room unique they might just have what you are looking for.

Good for: Small electrical appliances, home accessories

100 yen shops

For all the small things in life, dishcloths, tableware, small boxes, cooking utensils, hangers, etc. 100 Yen shops are the place to go. The big chains are Daiso, Can Do, and Seria, and one of them is almost guaranteed to be in your neighborhood, as the only shops more common are convenience stores.

Good for: Home accessories