"Japanese Billionaire Founder of Daiso Discount Store Dies at 80"
Hirotake Yano, the billionaire founder of Daiso Industries, known for popularizing the 100-yen discount shop concept, has passed away at the age of 80. Starting with a small shop selling products for 100 yen, he grew the company into a global retail empire with over 4,360 stores in Japan and 990 overseas. The chain made over 550 billion yen in sales as of February 2022 and inspired similar retailers in Japan. Yano's net worth was about $1.9 billion at the time of his death, and he leaves behind a legacy of affordable household goods and knickknacks.
