Mijyi @ Leisure Park Kallang
As far as Japanese supermarkets go, there’s really no beating Daiso and Don Don Donki. They’re the de facto spots to shop at for a taste of Japan’s snacks, drinks, and household products. But, you’ll also find a couple of other Asian dollar stores vying for a spot in your thrifty shopping basket scattered around Singapore, and one of them is Mijyi.
What is Mijyi?
In case you’ve not heard of them, Mijyi is a Japanese dollar store that mainly stocks goods from Japan, but you’ll also find Korean and Taiwanese products lining their shelves. Their main draw is having their imports being priced at $2.30 unless otherwise stated. They’ve also got a slew of unique goods that you won’t find at your usual NTUC, such as clothes, manga, and exotic snacks.
They used to have 2 other outlets, one in City Square Mall and another in 51 @ AMK, but those have since shuttered. Today, its last remaining outlet stands in Leisure Park Kallang, one of those lesser-known malls where you won’t have to compete with the crowds.
What can you buy at Mijyi?
If you decide to give Donki’s infectious tunes a rest and decide to pay Mijyi a visit instead, you’ll find that it has quite an extensive inventory. For starters, you’ll find a print-out above every aisle which notifies you that all items are $2.30, unless their price tag states otherwise.
Much like Daiso, you can pick up household necessities from cups, plates, and bowls, to office supplies such as markers, pens, and notebooks. However, we soon realised that a sizable portion of the store’s goods were slapped with a price tag which indicated that it was priced above $2.30.
Of course, you’ll be able to find quite a sizable selection of exotic snacks from Japan at Mijyi. The rarer items we sussed out that you could not find at local supermarkets hovered around $3.50. Others we spotted included boxes of Butter Sablé cookies and cute Hello Kitty-motifed biscuits but again, those were priced at $4 and $4.80 respectively.
Most of the bottled beverages here were also priced above $2.30, such as this Kirin-brand tea with milk ($3.20), as well as this Suntory Nacchan Orange drink ($3). However, don’t let this deter you from exploring what else Mijyi has to offer.
Sure, Daiso might have it beat when it comes to prices, but you’ll still be able to find quirky products here that you might not be able to find elsewhere.
We stumbled across this rack of manga ($4.50) near the entrance of the store. Curiously, a lot of them were printed in Mandarin, and amongst the bunch included various volumes of popular titles like Naruto and Yu-Gi-Oh.
Should the little ones still want to splash around in the pool on rainy days, they’ll be able to do so indoors with this inflatable, 83cm by 20cm kid’s pool ($7.80). When the sun’s out, this inflatable dolphin ($5.80) will make for the perfect beachside buddy.
Near the shop’s back, you’ll discover they have a whole section for clothes too, and their range of apparel (from $5) was surprisingly huge. They had both clothes for both men and women; there were T-shirts, polo tees, flannels, button-ups, skirts, and jeans. These were all brand new too, and their prices rivalled those you’d get at thrift stores in Singapore.
Of course, we can’t miss out on the obligatory Sanrio-themed merch you can buy here. Fans of Cinnamoroll won’t want to leave the house without a pack of Cinnamoroll wet wipes ($3.20), and those looking to beautify their laptops or bottles with their favourite characters can do so with these sticker sheets ($3).
Back outside, the store also has an area displaying other miscellaneous items for sale. On our visit, there was a wide variety of ceramics for you to stock your kitchen with, from plates and bowls (from $4.30) bearing intricate prints to dainty teapots ($8.60).
There was also a section on the right dedicated to barbeque gear courtesy of brands from the US, should you be planning an upcoming trip to East Coast Park for a grill-out. Although a bit on the pricier side, they’ve got everything you need to cook up a storm; think locking tongs ($31.90), grilling boards ($31.90), and even wine barrel smoking wood ($31.90).
Stop by Mijyi before your concerts at the National Stadium
Although Mijyi can’t quite beat the bigger Japanese supermarket chains when it comes to price, they’ve got their own set of quirky goodies that might suit your fancy. Besides, if you’re going for a concert at the nearby National Stadium or heading upstairs to catch a movie within Leisure Park Kallang, Mijyi is conveniently located for you to grab refreshments at.
For more on supermarkets in Singapore, Bites by Scarlett over at PLQ has $0.25 snacks to munch on. Here’s our guide to supermarkets in Singapore, and should you get any midnight cravings, you can refer to our list of 24H supermarkets.
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Photography by Lee Pei Yee.