Taneya

For those who are from Asia and who spent their childhood by the 1980s, one of the most enjoyable memories was going to the grocery store on the corner and using your own pocket money to buy the cheap and tasty snacks or toys. In Japan, we called those sorts of cheap and delicious children’s snack Dagashi and they have a history of around 300 years. This shop has a history of more than 100 years, about a third of the history of dagashi, this shop is very rare in Japan and even rarer in modern Tokyo. The shop is located at the corner of the shopping street, slightly away from Akabane.

Once you step inside this shop, you will be surprised at the walls which lined with probably more than 100 kinds of snacks. There are snacks produced in Tokyo and there are snacks from Iwate and Miyagi to support the recovery from the earthquake disaster. There is a wide range of snacks, ranging from traditional Japanese rice crackers, to candy bar, soft candy jellies and even contemporary snacks, such as potato chips and more. There are local community-produced snacks to the well-known brands, as small as only one centimetre to snacks up to one metre long. Because there are too many kinds, you may feel like you are in a treasure hunt and you can forget time as you look at them, one by one. In addition, the owner sticks to domestic production and, except for some major brands, almost all of the snacks are made from domestic raw materials.

One would expect that the customers were mainly adults who want to remember memories of childhood, but actually many children also come to the shop. It is pretty awesome for children to be taken by parents, to look for favorite snacks here and there, to nag their parents to buy them. It is no longer just a place of adult memories but also a place which modern children enjoy. Furthermore, as many TV show and celebrities often visit here, there are also many autographs on the walls.

Even more surprising is that the owner is not just a snack shop owner, but a Japanese sword dance master. Sword dance is one of Japan’s traditional dances. Depanding on the dance, a folding fan can also be used. The owner teaches sword dance in the dojo on the second floor of the shop. In the dojo, there are many championship trophies, and the swords are kept in the corner. Usually the dojo is not open to public, but if you ask the owner, you may be able to see it. Furthermore, as the owner offers homestays, you might have a chance to practice a sword dance during your stay.