A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store
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A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store
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Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store
#2> "Very few people know that I had to do that thing which no business owner should ever do – lay people off. And I've had to do it twice."
The difference in how other countries view laying people off, contrasted with the US labor market is worth highlighting.
I understand the arguments about how at-will employment brings flexibility and opportunity for both employers and employees but seeing a CEO feel actually responsible for his employees in a downsizing is refreshing.
Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store
#3> "Very few people know that I had to do that thing which no business owner should ever do – lay people off. And I've had to do it twice." The difference in how other countries view laying people off, contrasted with the US labor market is worth highlighting. I understand the arguments about how at-will employment brings flexibility and opportunity for both employers and employees but seeing a CEO feel actually respo…
Yes. In one of his interviews he says when they downsized, he and his employees went for dinner where he cried his heart out and apologized to the 20 part timers(!) he had to lay off. And that he was able to hire three of them back when his business took off again.
Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store
#4> "Very few people know that I had to do that thing which no business owner should ever do – lay people off. And I've had to do it twice." The difference in how other countries view laying people off, contrasted with the US labor market is worth highlighting. I understand the arguments about how at-will employment brings flexibility and opportunity for both employers and employees but seeing a CEO feel actually respo…
> seeing a CEO feel actually responsible for his employees in a downsizing is refreshing
Too naive. This is a Japanese way of saying "I don't give a shit."
Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store
#5It's incredible how much high quality restaurant food, groceries and snacks like these that Japan has had for a relatively low price as compared to other wealthy nations.
It was quite noticeable for me the last 2 times I went to Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka, as a visitor from the US, that food costs were pretty much never an issue. I guess the dollar being strong has something to do with that.
Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store
#6Why is "Dagashi" in quotes here while it's not in the original article? The quotes imply faux-Dagashi or a tongue-in-cheek reference, or something like that.
Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store
#7Why is "Dagashi" in quotes here while it's not in the original article? The quotes imply faux-Dagashi or a tongue-in-cheek reference, or something like that.
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Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store
#8It's always bittersweet when I visit Japan and come across old establishments or traditions that an ageing proprietor or volunteers are trying to keep going. You can see the love and spirit they have for it, but it often looks like something too disconnected from the interests of young people and the vicissitudes of the changing economy to survive for much longer. A kissaten (old-style cafe) owner in Nagasaki who shared stories and gave me an umbrella (apparently his practice); a jazz bar owner in Sasebo who stays open so as "not to disappoint patrons who might show up", even though he doesn't really get enough business to justify it due to the waning of interest in jazz in Japan. Their low popularity also means they don't charge high prices.
It's a huge contrast with the anonymous, impersonal service you get in big cities and chain stores; a similar anonymity you get all over the world wherever poorly-paid workers don't have a stake in the businesses they work for. The difference is a profit motive versus simply enjoying a practice or being a place for community. Both get shoehorned into the concept of a "business", but they're worlds apart. And in a climate of increasing rents, individualistic places tend to die out, barring the occasional dagashi vendor that manages to reignite community interest in its offerings.
Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store
#9Why is "Dagashi" in quotes here while it's not in the original article? The quotes imply faux-Dagashi or a tongue-in-cheek reference, or something like that.
It's a little old-fashioned now, but quotation marks can also be used when you're quoting another language, especially a word you don't expect readers to understand. Many tourists in Istanbul visit a "hamam", or Turkish bath.
These days italics are more common, but the usage makes sense here because italics are unlikely to survive copy-pasting a title.
Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store
#10It's always bittersweet when I visit Japan and come across old establishments or traditions that an ageing proprietor or volunteers are trying to keep going. You can see the love and spirit they have for it, but it often looks like something too disconnected from the interests of young people and the vicissitudes of the changing economy to survive for much longer. A kissaten (old-style cafe) owner in Nagasaki who sha…
Meh. Dagashi are... not great. (And frankly the same is true of jazz). You can get nicer stuff from any 7-eleven, consistently, and whether the staff member cares is (thankfully) not really relevant. Stores that sell something people actually want can and do thrive (by charging a premium if necessary), and that includes a lot of traditions that people value because they're traditional, but when it comes to something like eating bad snacks because those were what your parents ate... meh. Let it die.