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Categories: Japanese, Home & Garden, Grocery, Ethnic Food [Edit]
10562 San Pablo AvenueMon-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
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I love this place! I visit their SF location every time I'm in Japantown and couldn't be happier that there is a location closer to me. The EC store is smaller, but I never walk out without extremely useful and clever items for a good price!
Two of my favorite finds over the years are a microwave edamame steamer and a cube that gives you different info as you turn it to each of it's four sides. One side is a clock/timer, the temperature, alarm and calendar. Its very easy to spend money here :p
I gave four stars only because this store is smaller than the SF store and therefore has less stuff, but still well worth the visit.
I'm a big fan of Ichiban Kan in SF, so I figured I would be a big fan of this one.
This Ichiban isn't as big as the one in SF, so I guess I set my expectations a little too high when I went in. It's a cute little Japanese dollar store nonetheless. Also, like most Asian markets I enter, I expect not to be able to read the writing on the goods. I think that's like half the fun....interpreting what you're going to buy based on the pictures! If it looks like something I could use or looks good, I go for it. If not. Oh well. It's a dollar anyways!
Today's visit:
make-up bag
Naive brand face wash -- really good!
two cute pens with dogs on them, one a chihuahua that looks like my wyatt
a mechanical pencil
eraser
colored pens (which I thought were black...oh well)
some snacks
Not too bad. I'm sure I'l be going to this store more when I can't trek out to Ichiban SF.
I LOVE IT.
Full of [mostly] cheap Japanese products - lots of snacks (not necessarily cheaper, but comparable to a grocery store), grocery items (I got a bag of dried shiitake mushrooms for 99 cents!), tupperware, lunch bentos, dishes, kitchenware, and personal hygiene products (shampoo, conditioner, soaps, etc). It's not a super large store, but you could easily fill up a basket going up and down the aisles. Most things are around $1.50 - $2.00, but there are several things that are on the pricier side.
I guess I must check out the Ichiban Kan in SF next! And Daiso!
Not bad because there aren't many Japanese goods shops here.
Some cute things...everything affordable. Its sooo easy to go in for a few cheap things and come out losing quite a lot of money. All in all, I have seem much better near Torrance, etc.
Daiso has more stuff, Ichiban Kan is more of a Japanese dollar store, whereas Daiso is the Japanese dollar emporium. It's ok, you can find some fun stuff, but it's not the best place to go for those knick knacks, out of date crackers, weirdly labeled products, and other trinkets that make you giggle. Although, I did find something that I think could be a mini lunch box, green tray on the bottom with a white lid, and then a triangle shaped red thing vaguely resembling a sheep on top. It's called, "sheep lube." I almost bought it, but really, there's only so much you can do with sheep lube.
I had been hearing about this place as the best place in the world to get your bento craze going. It's true! Sadly for me, they had sold out of egg molds the time I was there, but there were so many different things to make up for it! a $2 very short sitting stool. Amazingly useful, who woulda thought? Any little plastic thingamajig you may need is most likely right here! Also, I went on a Saturday, and they had some live acoustic music playing. How lovely!
Stuff, stuff, and more stuff for your buying pleasure.
It's cheap.
It's eclectic.
It's a great place to explore.
This ain't as big as the one in Japan Town S.F. but it's got a ton of stuff.
We actually got our sake cups for the wedding from here. Got them on a sale day..so for that I drink to you Ichiban Kan.
Look what more can I say about this place? Where else are you going to go when you need a pocket calculator? Or some stuff that looks like Tiger Balm but ain't? I ask you.
I wished I lived near here! But I was at 99 Ranch and made a diversion before I went home. What a cool store. It's like a Japanese dollar store, almost.
I bought:
- 2 packages of boiled egg shapers!! I've never seen those before.
- fine weaved laundry bag for lingerie
- hand slicer for veggies.
Yups I stayed far far away from the snacks. They looked good too!!!
Today's haul consisted of a bunch of of plastic organizer tubs (tasteful shades of orange and pink, $1.50 each), one of those circular laundry umbrellas with a whole buncha clips, for socks and undies (so handy, definitely worth $1), a cute little B5 notebook with a shiba inu on the cover (my favorite size and favorite dog breed, $1.50), and TWO seal-tight, two-tiered bentos ($2 each, beats the $20-$30 at Tokyo Fish Market, even if the bento belt is sold separately at $1).
Yeah, I like 'em, since they manage to be practical AND a bargain AND cute. Unfortunately, their selection is limited, and it does seem a little dingy in there, to tell the truth. It's worth checking out, and you'll be hard pressed to leave without buying SOMEthing, but I certainly wasn't as satisfied with my haul as if I'd gone to, say, Daiso.
Great dollar store for cute things Japanese. Smaller than the one in Japantown though, so selection is limited. Great finds at cheap prices and friendly service...oh Yaoya San is right next door too!
"Ms. Ellie Smith, are you guilty of buying a bunch of cute Japanese crap?"
"Guilty!"
Personally, I love the cute, clutter-making Japanese crap. But I think my favorite thing about this store is the great snacks.
What the hell am I going to do with $40 worth of Asian candy? I don't know but that's what can happen when you go into this store.
My sons are not the shopping type of kids, EB games, yes. Vans store, yes. Banana Republic, no. Victoria Secrets, hello no! Ichiban Kan, heck yeah!
I hadn't seen my sons this excited in a store in such a long time. We split up and hit the aisles with smiles and ohs and ahs. After an hour they came to the counter with dried fish eyes, ping pong paddles, wet wipes, some bento box lunch containers and a bunch of other stuff I can't read the directions on but will figure it out when we open it.
What's really funny is when you go to the counter and ask, "What is this for?", the sales person just smiles and you know that in their mind they are saying,"Yes, use that hemorrhoid cream as tooth paste!". Whatever if the shit works?!
Ingrid, you should have never told me about this place, now I have to skip out on my nail appointment to use the $ here instead. Dayum!
Loves it
It is so easy to get lost in the sauce in this store! So many goodies for under $1.50 ... I love coming here to purchase minicalculators since we use them in my ICU all the time! For a dollar you cant go wrong since we are constantly dropping them under our patient beds!
Lot's of goodies, like sushi rollers, tupperwares, snacks, and office supplies!
A cute, little Japanese dollar store with the wide, eclectic assortment of items I've come to expect from this type of place. Dishes and utensils? Check. Stationary and storage boxes? Check. Hardware and toiletries? Check. Staff were friendly and it's easily accessible in the JayVee Center strip mall.
I love you, Japanese dollar store. You are so freakin' cute and small and full of things I never knew I needed.
I bought:
Cute pen bag, $2
Pocky (Brazillian pudding flavor, who knew?), $1
Star paper hole puncher, $1
Chocolate trees (trust me, they're tasty!), $1
Lychee gummy candies, $2.69
Tiny little notebooks with cute designs, $1
They have all sorts of household supplies, candies, cosmetics, stationary stuff, those funky fold-up shopping bags in funny designs (pigs reading books). Cute and cheap!
I really like this place. They have a lot of Japanese snacks, cute bags, nice kitchenware, gardening items, air fresheners, toiletries...you name it and they're likely to have it!
I've been to both locations and though the SF store is larger, has a larger selection, and is a bit cheaper, I think it's great we have one in El Cerrito. And with gas prices these days, their items are bargains!
The staff is pretty friendly and always working to keep their shelves stocked and organized. I've never needed assistance but those who did were treated respectfully and attentively. This place is a little treasure on this side of the bay. My kids love their stuff too!
Somehow I ended up with nearly 50 Japanese erasers that look like food. I would blame Ichiban Kan, but let's face it they are too nice.
Cool place for gifts, household items, and things you never thought you needed.
Parking, but also right off the 72/72R and the bike trail under the BART tracks.
My children and I LOVE this store! We go about 1x a month to get our supply of sea weed and other Japanese snacks. Everything is reasonably priced but sometimes it's hard not to spend too much as there are always little things to buy. There are fun and hard to find items at good prices.
My 10 year old daughter likes to buy the little erasers. They have a huge collection of them.
The staff seems nice enough although some of them do not speak English which doesn't matter but there was an instance when I was looking for miso soup without MSG. The gal that didn't speak English called another gal and she was able to help me. They don't have miso soup without MSG, by the way. :)
I just visited this place today... how fun it was to see behaved little girls walking around with their moms or grandmothers choosing little things here and there... neighbors or friends being pleasantly surprised in seeing each other there... beats visiting a mall or other toy store and hearing little brats yell and scream at cranky parents about not getting what they want... but I digress.
They have lots of things to look at: some handy, some yummy, some my reaction was "what the !?!! is this used for" and then "oh" when I was able to make out the diagram or read the description on the shelf. :-)
If you are an impulse shopper of little do-dads and thingamajiggers, better watch out for how many of those $1.50-$2.00 suckers jump into your basket! I have also visited Daiso at NewPark Mall in Newark, CA - they are big and have more to peruse; I read that Daiso in Union City is wwaaayy huge. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
This Ichiban Kan is in a small strip mall across the corner from Safeway; near Baskin Robbins, a new veggie restaurant that opens Monday August 18, and a liquor store. There is a cute Japanese Market next door too! The cashier who helped me said she used to buy "everything" from Ichiban Kan when it first opened but for her now it is "been there, done that"... she admitted she goes next door to the Market to do her shopping now.
Have fun buying the do-dads and thingamajiggers!
this place is awesome!!! Where else can you get a Hello Kitty tote bag for $2???? Seriously, my daughter thought she hit the lottery when she found that. Best part is she uses it a lot, and 2 years later it still hasn't fallen apart like most of the junk you get in discount stores.
Pocky, Japanese sodas, cute Japanese bowls and dishes, all the things you never knew you needed until you walked in here
If you are in E.C. it's worth a stop in.
This is a mini-mart compared to the Marukai discount store in southern california...but I looove this place bc I can buy my kanebo and shiseido shampoos here. They have a pretty good selection of bowls, small plates etc here. I like to buy my 99cent gift bags here as well as my tupperware.
Its guaranteed you'll probably leave this little store with something you thought you didnt need until you saw it glowing and shouting out to you-- "Must buy! Because its so damn cheap!"
It's the Japanese version of the DOLLAR or 99 cents stores.
This is not the place to buy fancy Japanese gifts.
This IS the place to buy:
Golf style umbrellas (you know those giant ones)
for under $5
Pocky sticks and other Japanese snacks
Plastic containers for the kitchen
Inexpensive pens
Knick knacks and cheap- o toys
Highest compliment: This is the kind of place that even
my husband who HATES to shop, loves to go to.
It's not small or GIANT, just the right size to browse
for 10-15 minutes and find your dream bargain.
If you can't make it out to SF J-Town, Ichiban Kan's El Cerrito location is just as good. It reminds me of the 100 yen stores in Japan, just not as cool looking inside. But seriously, who needs ambiance when their prices are sooooo ridiculously low at $1-$2? Shopping here for household items (dishes, sponges, magic erasers, cooking utensils, tupperware, etc) makes me feel like I'm getting ripped off at Target! There's also plenty of munchies, toiletries and random useful knick knacks. It's also nice that alot of the items have an English translation label so you don't have to figure out what the heck it says on the Japanese packaging. The store is pretty quiet and you can spend hours browsing through every item in peace until you hear "We're closing...it's 7pm!"
The best part about this location is that there's plenty of parking in the mini strip mall and you can pop in next door to Yaoya-San for fresh sashimi to complete your new Japanese dishes.
This shop is full of goodies that are reasonably priced.
Their prices on plastic containers of all sizes are great (most under $2). They also have a nice selection of Japanese dishes at really great prices.
Other finds: Japanese snacks, ramen, drinks, candy, stationery, cleaning items, toiletries, pens, rice cookers, and many other other random finds.
Love this store!
i LOVE this place. (is this the same owner as the one in japantown?) neways...
what CAN'T you find in this place? anything from shampoo to snacks to stoppers for your drain?
i like to just go up and down each isle and waste my time like im gunna spend hella dough and walk out of there with a fistful of CANDY. pineapple hi-chewS!!!! *ho ho ho*
(i felt it necessary to laugh like a stereotypical japanese fob girl covering her mouth....to keep with the whole....japanese theme....u know what i mean)
good place to go to get "oriental" gifts/trinkets from the "orients" super cheap.....
(still can't believe OB chicken stood for oriental bbq.....)
The San Francisco location is much bigger, also cheaper.
I came here because I couldn't make it to the city. I really needed those small easels. They had them. Later, I went to the San Francisco location and found out it was cheaper in San Francisco. That kind of peeved me a little.
They have a lot of cute stuff, but it's the same stuff at the San Francisco location. Except SF has more stuff and it's cheaper.
I really like the $1 trash can I got here! (Shopping here beats waiting in the horrendous lines at ikea)
5 stars for awesome green trash can (among other things)!
CUTE LITTLE PLACE
Not only great Japanese snacks, but A LOT of cool stuff. I don't know how to explain the stuff, but cool folders, organizers, rice cooker, toilet cleaner...ect. all for very good prices.
So if you like Japanese stuff go check it out. And the place is actually owned by Japanese. So you can practice some Japanese like I did :)
As they always say...'Different things".
If you live in the east bay and you can't take the schlep to its larger sister in the Japantown mall, like me, you can usually find it at Ichiban. This mini store has a good selection of dishw are and the latest shipment of snacks on sale is displayed for your drooling as you walk in the door. Good to pop in in combo with a visit to Yaoya-san and some ramen at Katana-ya (not the kimchee ramen, though - too much vinegar). Back to Ichiban - get the lychee, mango, and passion fruit Hi-Chu.... before I snack them all.
this is a godsend for gift-givers, snack hounds, houseware fanatics, and those fond of stylish, quaint knick-knacks.
i LOVE ichiban kan. my first contact with this magical world was at the japantown locale, and i have been hopelessly in love ever since.
are you looking for japanese biore strips, a variety of pocky sticks, an assortment of hi-chew candy, binders, stationery, jazzy quirky stickers, chopsticks, slippers, hello kitty wafflemakers, storage solutions, lacquerware, decorative flourishes, umbrellas, maps, sponges, gift wrap, crackers, chapstick, condoms, tea, kitchenware, AND SO MUCH MORE at a fat DISCOUNTED PRICE?!!
then look no further, because ichiban kan is where it's at.
the el cerrito location is far superior to the japantown one. not sure why, but it's in an asian-centric strip mall (proof that strip malls are awesome) next to katana-ya and this other incredible small japanese grocer.
the last time i was there, i was practically salivating at the incredible selection. all i could think to myself was, "i'm coming back here for christmas shopping."
Clever, cheap stuff. I bought little rubber headphone (ear bud) cord organizers there for a buck fifty and they rock. Very fun browsing.
GREAT pricing, Asian snacks (senbei, shrimp chips, etc) & beverages (Ramune, Pocari Sweat and more), great knives, soba draining colanders, gardening tools, stationery, plastic storage ware, etc, etc. Wonderful tour through another culture. As everyone else has said, to be next door to YaoYa San and a couple of doors away from KitanaYa makes an whole Japanese trek possible.
I went container-crazy and left this store with over twenty plastic tupperware-like containers in various sizes, specifically purposed to fit stuff like rice, box of cornstarch, your square tub of miso...and smaller boxes to fit side dishes, 2 tablespoons of leftover something or 3 pieces of sushi. Cheaper than The Container Store by far.
Spanks Daiso and it's in our own backyard! As much as I love Daiso, I love this place because it's close and doesn't feel like I'm shopping at Walmart. Where else can you get cute little Japanese trinkets and dishes for a buck and a half in this area??
this is such a cute place ! the people here are so nice too !
the cashier that rang me up was smiling and laughing with us .
i went there in search of cute little bento boxes and they had them
in cute little designs and stuff for so so cheap ! but they're awesome .
i recommend going there just to have a look around and study
the cuteness and little trinkets . they have a lot of snacks too ! YUM x)
This is the poorman's version of J-town... ain't nuthin' wrong with that though. You can find all sorts of japanese goodies here. Snacks, dishware, cookware, slippers, whatever!... and cheap too. If you're throwing an impromptu japanese themed party at home, Ichiban Kan will hook you up right.
I only bought 2 miso bowls here and an ikura keychain b/c they were closing. I will definately come back! I can't stop thinking about all the kitchen items that I still want to get (soba plates, rice bowl, tea cups, chosticks, spoons, bento boxes). They also sell Japanese snacks and beauty supplies. Everything here is priced reasonably so even a "poe" college student like myself can have fancy utensils. And .... they got the BOTAN rice candy near the cash registers, you know the one that comes w/ a removable tattoo inside. You know you go straight home right away, put on the tattoo on your left arm, and show everyone your cool parrot tattoo.
Ichiban Kan sits in a cluster of shops that I go to when I'm in the mood for things Japanese, or even just searching for something I don't even know I need yet. I go to Ichiban Kan trusting I'll find something clever and unique, not to mention just plain practical. They've got everything from snacks - including a dizzying array of instant noodles - to bath treats, to erasers that look like your favorite sushi. When I lived in Japan, one of the odder examples of 'English-meets-Japanese-head-on' I came across was the phrase," For beautiful human life." the slogan for some large department store I can't remember the name of. Honestly, some of the things I found Ichiban Kan have helped me get organized, filled my belly, made me smell really pretty, and dang if I didn't feel like I had a grip on 'beautiful human life' by the time I got my basket filled.
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