Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store

one-from-nippon.ghost.io

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 136 posts

Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store

#121

Post by 2ICofafireteam »

dageshi wrote: post #109
htag wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a general mythology that business greed is a new thing, and that it is an American invention. This is not the case. I'd specifically like to call out the ancient slave trade as an example of business existing for profit at the great determent of communities. I'd also like to call out that the Europeans explores immediately starting exporting tobacco around the world when introduced to it, even though it clea…

I don't think the europeans of the 1500's had any clue tobacco was in any way dangerous to peoples health, in fact I'm pretty sure they thought it was a medicinal plant.

It was also probably too expensive for most people to buy and consume enough to be noticeably harmful.

Having said that, a European of the 1500's would know what smoke did to kippers.

Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store

#122

Post by rkho »

rjh29 wrote: post #35
rkho wrote: post #21

The two coolest places I've found Dagashi in Japan have been the top floor of the Super Potato retro gaming store in Akihabara and the faux alleyways inside the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum. The product itself isn't really exciting, but the ambiance is just incredible.

If you like that you should check out a Showa Museum (Showa-kan) as the whole place will have that aesthetic. Or a real dagashiya if you can find one!

Replying to this comment once more in case anyone else is interested. I believe the museum in reference is Takayama Showa-kan in Gifu prefecture[1].

Originally I found a Showa Museum in Tokyo[2] but the aesthetics of the one in Gifu were much closer to what we had in mind in the context of the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum's "alleyways" and the arcade at Super Potato.

[1]: https://www.hida.jp/english/touristattractions/takayamacity/...

[2]: https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1720/

Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store

#123

Post by bobthepanda »

mathattack wrote: post #118
bobthepanda wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Japanese families are largely not multigenerational in the same house. Coresidence of parents and children have fallen in half over two decades from 50% to 24%: https://academic.oup.com/psychsocgerontology/article/62/5/S3... Here's the wikipedia article about elderly dying in Japan and being undiscovered due to being lonely and forgotten: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodokushi

Thanks for sharing! My experience is dated, and (like everywhere) Japan evolves.

Japan is changing very rapidly due to its demographic transition.

It is close to 50 years after the fall of fertility rate below replacement in Japan; so soon there will be increasing numbers of elders that not only do not have grandchildren, but don't have children either.

Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store

#124

Post by lmm »

kizunajp wrote: post #50
lmm wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Tastes are obviously subjective, but for what it's worth it's not like 7-11 does not sell a subset of the same dagashi mentioned in the article. I did like the low-carb versions of things like chocolate cake they rolled out and in general they have a wonderful line of sweets: https://www-sej-co-jp.translate.goog/products/a/7premium/cat... Lawson and FamilyMart have great sweets too. Japanese convenience stores, to me…

> it's not like 7-11 does not sell a subset of the same dagashi mentioned in the article.

I got confused by your multiple negatives here, but this doesn't invalidate the point that 7-11 generally sells better substitutes for old-style dagashi. If they also sell some (probably on the better end of) dagashi, all the more reason to not lament the decline of the dagashi shops.

Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store

#125

Post by totetsu »

e12e wrote: post #74
totetsu wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Someway along past the end of Isezaki Mall in Yokohama, there is a old Video game arcade full of 90s Street fighter machines, and also some custom ones running some arcane emulator software, full or 1000s of even more arcane titles from Japanese video game history, run by one ageing proprietor.

This one? http://shouwaretro.com/spot/PIROPIRO-Gamecenter.html

Yes. Those big white consoles at the back were the ones with many games loaded on them.

Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store

#126

Post by midoridensha »

liotier wrote: post #54
midoridensha wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>On the other hand, when we have taken friends to the places we like that are far more laid back, at least one person has commented on how the service is "poor" or "inattentive." This is the problem. Most American diners actually want the server to act like their best friend and constantly interrupt them. People like you are a minority. >Foodservice in Europe, broadly, is one of those amazing but unexpected things I…

> Most American diners actually want the server to act like their best friend and constantly interrupt them Seriously ? Don't Americans see how fake it is ? The French waiter does its job curtly and efficiently, neither him nor I pretend we are fond of each other and that is perfectly fine.

>Don't Americans see how fake it is ?

I guess not. Many Americans want to be treated like they're royalty anyway; just look at how entitled they act in public. Expecting some server to wait on them hand and foot without even being asked is part of the entitlement mentality that is prevalent in America, I think.

Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store

#127

Post by wrp »

liotier wrote: post #54
midoridensha wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>On the other hand, when we have taken friends to the places we like that are far more laid back, at least one person has commented on how the service is "poor" or "inattentive." This is the problem. Most American diners actually want the server to act like their best friend and constantly interrupt them. People like you are a minority. >Foodservice in Europe, broadly, is one of those amazing but unexpected things I…

> Most American diners actually want the server to act like their best friend and constantly interrupt them Seriously ? Don't Americans see how fake it is ? The French waiter does its job curtly and efficiently, neither him nor I pretend we are fond of each other and that is perfectly fine.

When I eat in a restaurant, I want to be left in peace, so I prefer the Japanese restaurant experience. But I know I'm not the rule in America, maybe not even in the majority. If you watch American diners, it's clear that many enjoy the social interaction. Some will even sit at the counter instead of at a table in order to get more of it. My impression is that the waitresses who are good at maintaining banter with the customers are the ones who draw the most in tips.

Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store

#128

Post by pxue »

dageshi wrote: post #109
htag wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a general mythology that business greed is a new thing, and that it is an American invention. This is not the case. I'd specifically like to call out the ancient slave trade as an example of business existing for profit at the great determent of communities. I'd also like to call out that the Europeans explores immediately starting exporting tobacco around the world when introduced to it, even though it clea…

I don't think the europeans of the 1500's had any clue tobacco was in any way dangerous to peoples health, in fact I'm pretty sure they thought it was a medicinal plant.

Ok then. Replace 1500 tobacco with 1800 opium.

Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store

#129

Post by totetsu »

e12e wrote: post #74
totetsu wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Someway along past the end of Isezaki Mall in Yokohama, there is a old Video game arcade full of 90s Street fighter machines, and also some custom ones running some arcane emulator software, full or 1000s of even more arcane titles from Japanese video game history, run by one ageing proprietor.

This one? http://shouwaretro.com/spot/PIROPIRO-Gamecenter.html

Oh I found some photos. https://postimg.cc/gallery/0w1t3SY

Re: A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store

#130

Post by ryan_lane »

creamyhorror wrote: post #8

It'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…

For the most part I avoid kissaten because they almost universally allow smoking. Many of them can have quite good coffee, rivaling the hipster places, with good food and nice themes. They're in a tough position because their established customer base wants to smoke, but young people for the most part won't, and won't go to places that allow it.

Most of the jazz places have the same problem. I like jazz, but refuse to go to the jazz clubs because of the smoking.

Post reply on HN