I love za Daiso!

If you are furnishing your Japanese apartment from scratch, I would really recommend visiting a local Daiso, a popular 100-yen chain ($1 store, although with the current exchange rate, it's more like $1.20 store).

Of course, there are items with quality reflecting their low prices, but for the most part, you can get almost all household items (with exception to larger furniture, electronics and appliances) with very decent quality there. Hell, I would even say same quality as any other Walmart/Target item as they are all made in China anyway! I have read that their eye shadows are super nice, but I didn't look. Serious restraint there, mind you. We ended up with 2 bags full of ceramic plates, bowls, chopsticks, forks, spoons, bamboo cooking utensils, laundry baskets, plastic trays and organizers, etc.

Our apartment is slooooooooowly taking shape :D