4 ms·

High quality? They sell furniture made from cardboard. Spill anything on it and it's destroyed immediately. Pens? Seriously? There pens are no better and arguab

High quality? They sell furniture made from cardboard. Spill anything on it and it's destroyed immediately. Pens? Seriously? There pens are no better and arguably worse than just about any pens I'v used. I bought some filing boxes from Muji, they fell apart after a very short use. They also sell mostly tasteless food. Muji to me is the ultimate scam. They make very crappy products but their color scheme and presentation make it appear nice and people eat it up. I used to be fooled by it myself.

lotso 11y ago
Almost every illustrator, designer, or artist I know really enjoy using their pens. YMMV. Also not sure what furniture you are referring to, but they have a lot made from solid wood. https://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=19 https://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=19
- mattkevan 11y ago
  Yeah, their .5mm pens are fantastic. I've used them for so long that my handwriting goes weird when I use a different make. They produce a lovely black line and the ink is quick drying, which for a lefty is vital. I make a special journey every few months to stock up. The notebooks are good too, though I haven't forgiven them for discontinuing their A5 spiral bound sketchbook years ago, which was perfect. If I had realised it was going away, I'd have gone round every branch in London and bought them all up.
  - koralatov 11y ago
    ... If I had realised it was going away, I'd have gone round every branch in London and bought them all up. I feel exactly the same way about their now-discontinued passport notebook. If I'd realised it was in danger of extinction, I'd have bulk-bought every one I could get my hands on.
threeseed 11y ago
Mujis products are all cheaply made in China but I wouldn't call it a scam per se. It's applying high end design to low end materials the same as Uniqlo, Ikea etc have done.
- karaokeyoga 11y ago
  Many are made in China, but not all. Fair amount of "Made in Japan" goods. Their US site is down for maintenance but, for example, this product: http://www.muji.net/store/cmdty/detail/4547315002870 http://www.muji.net/store/cmdty/detail/4547315002870 … is made in Japan. Search for "原産国" (country of origin) and note "日本" (Japan).
  - seanmcdirmid 11y ago
    Also, they make a lot in Thailand.
karaokeyoga 11y ago
Muji in Japan is a bit better, if only because the prices here are more in line with the quality. I agree that most of their stuff looks better than it lasts. I just visited their brand-new store in Kyoto, and it looks like they're changing in the right way. More selection and hints of better quality.
- greggman 11y ago
  I live in Japan. If it's worse in the USA then wow, I can't imagine how bad it is. Their plastic drawers are the worst among every brand I've tried. Their modular wire shelves are so flimsy they might has well be called disposable.
bornabox 11y ago
Tried the pens and love em. Bought a few boxes full of pens, as we don't have a Muji close by and am still insanely happy with them more than a year later. The Pens are a joy to write with. And I'm picky as hell when it comes to pens :)
- gingerlime 11y ago
  How do they compare to uni-ball? my current favourite for the last decade or so, especially the micro thin ones. Together with moleskine - it's a match made in heaven. Wondering if anything can top it, but always willing to experiment.
seanmcdirmid 11y ago
I've never tried their furniture before. Frankly, they try to sell Japanese furniture here, which is just too close to the floor for a dirty place like Beijing. The pens have a really smooth writing feel to them. If you aren't into writing a lot, you might not notice. The only other pens I can get a similar smoothness feel are the really expensive ones. The marshmallows are pretty good, oh and the cookies make good snacks. It isn't just special, but quite convenient. I disagree with your assessment, but do you have any points of comparison?

lotso 11y ago

Almost every illustrator, designer, or artist I know really enjoy using their pens. YMMV. Also not sure what furniture you are referring to, but they have a lot made from solid wood. https://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=19 https://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=19

mattkevan 11y ago
Yeah, their .5mm pens are fantastic. I've used them for so long that my handwriting goes weird when I use a different make. They produce a lovely black line and the ink is quick drying, which for a lefty is vital. I make a special journey every few months to stock up. The notebooks are good too, though I haven't forgiven them for discontinuing their A5 spiral bound sketchbook years ago, which was perfect. If I had realised it was going away, I'd have gone round every branch in London and bought them all up.
- koralatov 11y ago
  ... If I had realised it was going away, I'd have gone round every branch in London and bought them all up. I feel exactly the same way about their now-discontinued passport notebook. If I'd realised it was in danger of extinction, I'd have bulk-bought every one I could get my hands on.

threeseed 11y ago

Mujis products are all cheaply made in China but I wouldn't call it a scam per se. It's applying high end design to low end materials the same as Uniqlo, Ikea etc have done.

karaokeyoga 11y ago
Many are made in China, but not all. Fair amount of "Made in Japan" goods. Their US site is down for maintenance but, for example, this product: http://www.muji.net/store/cmdty/detail/4547315002870 http://www.muji.net/store/cmdty/detail/4547315002870 … is made in Japan. Search for "原産国" (country of origin) and note "日本" (Japan).
- seanmcdirmid 11y ago
  Also, they make a lot in Thailand.

karaokeyoga 11y ago

Muji in Japan is a bit better, if only because the prices here are more in line with the quality. I agree that most of their stuff looks better than it lasts. I just visited their brand-new store in Kyoto, and it looks like they're changing in the right way. More selection and hints of better quality.

greggman 11y ago
I live in Japan. If it's worse in the USA then wow, I can't imagine how bad it is. Their plastic drawers are the worst among every brand I've tried. Their modular wire shelves are so flimsy they might has well be called disposable.

bornabox 11y ago

Tried the pens and love em. Bought a few boxes full of pens, as we don't have a Muji close by and am still insanely happy with them more than a year later. The Pens are a joy to write with. And I'm picky as hell when it comes to pens :)

gingerlime 11y ago
How do they compare to uni-ball? my current favourite for the last decade or so, especially the micro thin ones. Together with moleskine - it's a match made in heaven. Wondering if anything can top it, but always willing to experiment.

seanmcdirmid 11y ago

I've never tried their furniture before. Frankly, they try to sell Japanese furniture here, which is just too close to the floor for a dirty place like Beijing. The pens have a really smooth writing feel to them. If you aren't into writing a lot, you might not notice. The only other pens I can get a similar smoothness feel are the really expensive ones. The marshmallows are pretty good, oh and the cookies make good snacks. It isn't just special, but quite convenient. I disagree with your assessment, but do you have any points of comparison?