15 ms·

A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store

243 points by kizunajp 3y ago

jaipilot747 3y ago
> "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.
- kizunajp 3y ago
  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.
- minebreaker 3y ago
  > 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."
  - timlod 3y ago
    I don't think it is, not for a business such as the one described in the article. I'm currently living in Japan, and in a relatively short amount of time I've personally met several business owners who might have acted similarly, sincerely. There is a large amount of small and niche businesses here which are not profit-driven.
    - rjh29 3y ago
      I am inclined to agree with you, e.g. the number of very long-running family businesses in Japan, traditional arts being kept alive, etc. otoh unless you've lived in Japan for a very long time it's pretty hard to tell what is sincere and what isn't in a public forum.
  - danielscrubs 3y ago
    Weekly afterworks and 12 hours work a day will force you to feel like a family wether you like it or not. Also if your mindset festers they will stop being polite which is way worse.
    - camoleon 3y ago
      I took that to mean that if you fail to continue to be productive then your colleagues will cease to be polite to you, is that correct?
      - jaipilot747 3y ago
        It's up for debate how productive Japan's companies really are. Studies show it is one of the least productive/efficient among developed economies, with all the unnecessary meetings, lack of quick decision-making, and outdated processes.
- kitsunesoba 3y ago
  I remember reading that some Japanese electronics company, I want to say it might’ve been Panasonic, kept the TV wing of their business going for many years after it ceased to be profitable because they didn’t want to displace all the employees working in it. Japan has problems with work culture (off the books overtime, obligation to go drinking with coworkers, etc) but the increased corporate loyalty towards employees isn’t one of them.
  - grecy 3y ago
    Just like when Toyota sent all their assembly plant workers on paid training courses instead of furloughing them like GM and Ford
okdood64 3y ago
It'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.
- midoridensha 3y ago
  Restaurants in the US are absurdly expensive. Not only is the food expensive, but the 25% expected tip is ridiculous. (Tipping doesn't exist in Japan, and in Europe basically consists of rounding up, if any.) It's not just Japan; western Europe is also generally much cheaper for restaurants (when comparing similar quality). One big difference I see between the two is the level of service expected. In the US, the waiters are constantly interrupting and bugging the customers, hoping for a bigger tip. In Europe and Japan, this doesn't happen; you need to signal to your server that you need something, and there generally seems to be less staff as a result, which reduces costs. Basically, this is just another way that America is broken compared to the rest of the developed world, and it's not just the strength of the dollar.
  - techsupporter 3y ago
    > In the US, the waiters are constantly interrupting and bugging the customers, hoping for a bigger tip. In Europe and Japan, this doesn't happen; you need to signal to your server that you need something... There are restaurants in Seattle that I've stopped visiting for anything beyond takeaway because my wife and I can't hold a conversation for more than a few minutes without being interrupted. It is very frustrating. 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." I think we are culturally used to being asked if we need service and are reticent to go find help or do for ourselves (except when it comes to using a machine at the grocery). So I'm not sure it's solely in search of a better tip, except that everything in a US restaurant is for that. Foodservice in Europe, broadly, is one of those amazing but unexpected things I tell people who are preparing to travel for the first time to really look at and try to enjoy. It's wonderful, in my opinion.
sedatk 3y ago
Why 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.
- iHeartVLC 3y ago
  [dead]
- resolutebat 3y ago
  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.
  - sedatk 3y ago
    I see that, but its capital first letter already implies a proper noun, so no need for extra quotes, is there?
  - kizunajp 3y ago
    This was exactly my thought process when I added quotes around dagashi in the title. Also why all mentions of dagashi are in italics in the article.
creamyhorror 3y ago
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 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.
- lmm 3y ago
  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.
  - ChatGTP 3y ago
    You get jazz from a 7-eleven ?
  - sheepdestroyer 3y ago
    Yeah, most of these things are extremely processed low quality stuff, very high in salt/sugar and additives. Even for the interesting snacks like dried calamari or candied kelp for instance, you'd have far better options buying from a normal supermarket.
rkho 3y ago
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.
- rjh29 3y ago
  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!
  - rkho 3y ago
    Thanks, I'll check that out next time I find myself in Japan. I also really liked the Shitamachi Museum in Ueno, similar aesthetics there.
  - rkho 3y ago
    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/historyandculture/4000159.html https://www.hida.jp/english/touristattractions/takayamacity/... [2]: https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1720/ https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1720/
GaggiX 3y ago
I knew about Dagashi thanks to the manga Dagashi Kashi; you can also see one of the main characters on the left of Hideyuki Akiyama.
- kizunajp 3y ago
  Yes! They have recreated the shop from the manga Dagashi Kashi (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagashi_Kashi https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagashi_Kashi) Their site is unfortunately completely and only in Japanese but scroll to the middle of the page and look for a section with number ④ for more photos of the corner: https://ohmachi-site.co.jp/floor/ https://ohmachi-site.co.jp/floor/
  - GaggiX 3y ago
    This is really cool thanks
iamflimflam1 3y ago
Off topic - but I was quite impressed by the aerial view - the roof is covered in solar panels.
zelphirkalt 3y ago
> When asked about the future of the business, Hideyuki says he has no intention of doing business (in pursuit of profits) at all. He believes businesses exist to serve society and contribute back to people in the community. That they make profits are merely a side effect and that somewhere along the line the side effect became the main goal. If only more had his insight.
- b112 3y ago
  [flagged]
  - zelphirkalt 3y ago
    Way to paint a one-sided picture and make this a socialism VS capitalism debate.
    - b112 3y ago
      Yet the comment I responded to, did quite the same, speaking of the statement(anti-profit) as "insight", eg wisdom. But you cannot remove profit as a motivator in a capitalistic society, without finding a viable replacement, for wealth accumulation has directive goals. EG, successful entrepreneurs become focal points, and help direct resource allocation for future endeavors.
      - zelphirkalt 3y ago
        My comment did not even mention socialism, capitalism and whatnot. And yes, I see it as an insight, when people realize, that life is not about personal profit maximization. And no, that does not equal socialism or capitalism or even anti-capitalism.
  - the-dude 3y ago
    He said more, not all.
- modernpink 3y ago
  I, and many economists, would argue that the price signal, profit and "serving society" are more tightly interwound than many like Hideyuki are mislead to believe.
ggm 3y ago
Retro lolly shops all over Australia mainly in tourism locations often selling nostalgia, lollies in jars alongside cheap euro/british imports.
- soco 3y ago
  In Europe too, for example the Italian ODStore chain - usually two entire floors of all kinds of sweets (plus some chips and nuts) both imports and Italian, again in tourist locations, generous opening hours and always populated when I was around.
- rippercushions 3y ago
  Was quite surprised to visit one recently only to be greeted by a full shelf of Faygo Redpop. Juggalo nostalgia!
gcheong 3y ago
“ He believes businesses exist to serve society and contribute back to people in the community. That they make profits are merely a side effect and that somewhere along the line the side effect became the main goal.” That change came about in 1970 with Milton Friedman’s ideas about the purpose of a corporation being solely to maximize shareholder value and we’ve all been paying the price ever since: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2019/08/19/why-maximizing-shareholder-value-is-finally-dying https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2019/08/19/why-max...
- lazyllama 3y ago
  Actually it happened way before 1970 when Dodge sued Ford. Dodge v. Ford Motor Company, 204 Mich. 459, 170 N.W. 668 (Mich. 1919) is a case in which the Michigan Supreme Court held that Henry Ford had to operate the Ford Motor Company in the interests of its shareholders, rather than in a charitable manner for the benefit of his employees or customers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_v._Ford_Motor_Co https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_v._Ford_Motor_Co.
  - fjeifisjf 3y ago
    [dead]
- renewiltord 3y ago
  The East India Company, notoriously a servant of society and so effective in its service that the Crown actually assimilated its possessions so that the good it could do would be amplified by the Empire.
  - pragmaticd 3y ago
    *servant to the British society.
- htag 3y ago
  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 clearly has negative health consequences. It was their learned behavior to make profits while harming the health of their customers.
hintymad 3y ago
For those who understand Kanji or Chinese, do you feel that the Romanji like "Dagashi" gives you quite different feeling than the Kanji 駄菓子? I feel that Kanji somehow conveys more meaning and more emotion, to the point that I'd avoid using English-version of Google Maps when traveling in Japan, even though logically it does not make sense.
- omoikane 3y ago
  I feel the same as you, particularly because 駄 (da) and 菓子 (kashi) can each be associated with a different set of puns that don't come through quite as well in the transliteration. I also just find Japanese easier to read compared to English, but maps are definitely easier for me when the labels use whatever language is local.
_a_a_a_ 3y ago
Each packet resembles a little Japanese eyeball-bursting webpage. I have to say, just looking at them makes me feel kind of happy – anyone else?
simonw 3y ago
Anyone able to find this store on a map? I found this but on satellite view it doesn't look like it has the same solar panels as were shown in the photo in the article: https://goo.gl/maps/V1oAYvUpFcDbaken6 https://goo.gl/maps/V1oAYvUpFcDbaken6
- kizunajp 3y ago
  Stick this into Google maps: 〒701-4262 岡山県瀬戸内市長船町東須恵1373-5 Their access page has a map too: https://ohmachi-site.co.jp/access/ https://ohmachi-site.co.jp/access/
  - simonw 3y ago
    Thanks! Yeah that matches the photo on satellite view: https://www.google.com/maps/search/dagashi/@34.684421,134.1432062,196m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu https://www.google.com/maps/search/dagashi/@34.684421,134.14...

243 points by kizunajp 3y ago

> "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.

kizunajp 3y ago
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.
minebreaker 3y ago
> 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."
- timlod 3y ago
  I don't think it is, not for a business such as the one described in the article. I'm currently living in Japan, and in a relatively short amount of time I've personally met several business owners who might have acted similarly, sincerely. There is a large amount of small and niche businesses here which are not profit-driven.
  - rjh29 3y ago
    I am inclined to agree with you, e.g. the number of very long-running family businesses in Japan, traditional arts being kept alive, etc. otoh unless you've lived in Japan for a very long time it's pretty hard to tell what is sincere and what isn't in a public forum.
- danielscrubs 3y ago
  Weekly afterworks and 12 hours work a day will force you to feel like a family wether you like it or not. Also if your mindset festers they will stop being polite which is way worse.
  - camoleon 3y ago
    I took that to mean that if you fail to continue to be productive then your colleagues will cease to be polite to you, is that correct?
    - jaipilot747 3y ago
      It's up for debate how productive Japan's companies really are. Studies show it is one of the least productive/efficient among developed economies, with all the unnecessary meetings, lack of quick decision-making, and outdated processes.
kitsunesoba 3y ago
I remember reading that some Japanese electronics company, I want to say it might’ve been Panasonic, kept the TV wing of their business going for many years after it ceased to be profitable because they didn’t want to displace all the employees working in it. Japan has problems with work culture (off the books overtime, obligation to go drinking with coworkers, etc) but the increased corporate loyalty towards employees isn’t one of them.
- grecy 3y ago
  Just like when Toyota sent all their assembly plant workers on paid training courses instead of furloughing them like GM and Ford

okdood64 3y ago

It'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.

midoridensha 3y ago
Restaurants in the US are absurdly expensive. Not only is the food expensive, but the 25% expected tip is ridiculous. (Tipping doesn't exist in Japan, and in Europe basically consists of rounding up, if any.) It's not just Japan; western Europe is also generally much cheaper for restaurants (when comparing similar quality). One big difference I see between the two is the level of service expected. In the US, the waiters are constantly interrupting and bugging the customers, hoping for a bigger tip. In Europe and Japan, this doesn't happen; you need to signal to your server that you need something, and there generally seems to be less staff as a result, which reduces costs. Basically, this is just another way that America is broken compared to the rest of the developed world, and it's not just the strength of the dollar.
- techsupporter 3y ago
  > In the US, the waiters are constantly interrupting and bugging the customers, hoping for a bigger tip. In Europe and Japan, this doesn't happen; you need to signal to your server that you need something... There are restaurants in Seattle that I've stopped visiting for anything beyond takeaway because my wife and I can't hold a conversation for more than a few minutes without being interrupted. It is very frustrating. 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." I think we are culturally used to being asked if we need service and are reticent to go find help or do for ourselves (except when it comes to using a machine at the grocery). So I'm not sure it's solely in search of a better tip, except that everything in a US restaurant is for that. Foodservice in Europe, broadly, is one of those amazing but unexpected things I tell people who are preparing to travel for the first time to really look at and try to enjoy. It's wonderful, in my opinion.

sedatk 3y ago

Why 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.

iHeartVLC 3y ago
[dead]
resolutebat 3y ago
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.
- sedatk 3y ago
  I see that, but its capital first letter already implies a proper noun, so no need for extra quotes, is there?
- kizunajp 3y ago
  This was exactly my thought process when I added quotes around dagashi in the title. Also why all mentions of dagashi are in italics in the article.

creamyhorror 3y ago

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 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.

lmm 3y ago
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.
- ChatGTP 3y ago
  You get jazz from a 7-eleven ?
- sheepdestroyer 3y ago
  Yeah, most of these things are extremely processed low quality stuff, very high in salt/sugar and additives. Even for the interesting snacks like dried calamari or candied kelp for instance, you'd have far better options buying from a normal supermarket.

rkho 3y ago

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.

rjh29 3y ago
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!
- rkho 3y ago
  Thanks, I'll check that out next time I find myself in Japan. I also really liked the Shitamachi Museum in Ueno, similar aesthetics there.
- rkho 3y ago
  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/historyandculture/4000159.html https://www.hida.jp/english/touristattractions/takayamacity/... [2]: https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1720/ https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1720/

GaggiX 3y ago

I knew about Dagashi thanks to the manga Dagashi Kashi; you can also see one of the main characters on the left of Hideyuki Akiyama.

kizunajp 3y ago
Yes! They have recreated the shop from the manga Dagashi Kashi (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagashi_Kashi https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagashi_Kashi) Their site is unfortunately completely and only in Japanese but scroll to the middle of the page and look for a section with number ④ for more photos of the corner: https://ohmachi-site.co.jp/floor/ https://ohmachi-site.co.jp/floor/
- GaggiX 3y ago
  This is really cool thanks

iamflimflam1 3y ago

Off topic - but I was quite impressed by the aerial view - the roof is covered in solar panels.

zelphirkalt 3y ago

> When asked about the future of the business, Hideyuki says he has no intention of doing business (in pursuit of profits) at all. He believes businesses exist to serve society and contribute back to people in the community. That they make profits are merely a side effect and that somewhere along the line the side effect became the main goal. If only more had his insight.

b112 3y ago
[flagged]
- zelphirkalt 3y ago
  Way to paint a one-sided picture and make this a socialism VS capitalism debate.
  - b112 3y ago
    Yet the comment I responded to, did quite the same, speaking of the statement(anti-profit) as "insight", eg wisdom. But you cannot remove profit as a motivator in a capitalistic society, without finding a viable replacement, for wealth accumulation has directive goals. EG, successful entrepreneurs become focal points, and help direct resource allocation for future endeavors.
    - zelphirkalt 3y ago
      My comment did not even mention socialism, capitalism and whatnot. And yes, I see it as an insight, when people realize, that life is not about personal profit maximization. And no, that does not equal socialism or capitalism or even anti-capitalism.
- the-dude 3y ago
  He said more, not all.
modernpink 3y ago
I, and many economists, would argue that the price signal, profit and "serving society" are more tightly interwound than many like Hideyuki are mislead to believe.

ggm 3y ago

Retro lolly shops all over Australia mainly in tourism locations often selling nostalgia, lollies in jars alongside cheap euro/british imports.

soco 3y ago
In Europe too, for example the Italian ODStore chain - usually two entire floors of all kinds of sweets (plus some chips and nuts) both imports and Italian, again in tourist locations, generous opening hours and always populated when I was around.
rippercushions 3y ago
Was quite surprised to visit one recently only to be greeted by a full shelf of Faygo Redpop. Juggalo nostalgia!

gcheong 3y ago

“ He believes businesses exist to serve society and contribute back to people in the community. That they make profits are merely a side effect and that somewhere along the line the side effect became the main goal.” That change came about in 1970 with Milton Friedman’s ideas about the purpose of a corporation being solely to maximize shareholder value and we’ve all been paying the price ever since: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2019/08/19/why-maximizing-shareholder-value-is-finally-dying https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2019/08/19/why-max...

lazyllama 3y ago
Actually it happened way before 1970 when Dodge sued Ford. Dodge v. Ford Motor Company, 204 Mich. 459, 170 N.W. 668 (Mich. 1919) is a case in which the Michigan Supreme Court held that Henry Ford had to operate the Ford Motor Company in the interests of its shareholders, rather than in a charitable manner for the benefit of his employees or customers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_v._Ford_Motor_Co https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_v._Ford_Motor_Co.
- fjeifisjf 3y ago
  [dead]
renewiltord 3y ago
The East India Company, notoriously a servant of society and so effective in its service that the Crown actually assimilated its possessions so that the good it could do would be amplified by the Empire.
- pragmaticd 3y ago
  *servant to the British society.
htag 3y ago
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 clearly has negative health consequences. It was their learned behavior to make profits while harming the health of their customers.

hintymad 3y ago

For those who understand Kanji or Chinese, do you feel that the Romanji like "Dagashi" gives you quite different feeling than the Kanji 駄菓子? I feel that Kanji somehow conveys more meaning and more emotion, to the point that I'd avoid using English-version of Google Maps when traveling in Japan, even though logically it does not make sense.

omoikane 3y ago
I feel the same as you, particularly because 駄 (da) and 菓子 (kashi) can each be associated with a different set of puns that don't come through quite as well in the transliteration. I also just find Japanese easier to read compared to English, but maps are definitely easier for me when the labels use whatever language is local.

_a_a_a_ 3y ago

Each packet resembles a little Japanese eyeball-bursting webpage. I have to say, just looking at them makes me feel kind of happy – anyone else?

simonw 3y ago

Anyone able to find this store on a map? I found this but on satellite view it doesn't look like it has the same solar panels as were shown in the photo in the article: https://goo.gl/maps/V1oAYvUpFcDbaken6 https://goo.gl/maps/V1oAYvUpFcDbaken6

kizunajp 3y ago
Stick this into Google maps: 〒701-4262 岡山県瀬戸内市長船町東須恵1373-5 Their access page has a map too: https://ohmachi-site.co.jp/access/ https://ohmachi-site.co.jp/access/
- simonw 3y ago
  Thanks! Yeah that matches the photo on satellite view: https://www.google.com/maps/search/dagashi/@34.684421,134.1432062,196m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu https://www.google.com/maps/search/dagashi/@34.684421,134.14...