Many Japanese adults have great memories of old-fashioned sweets shops, called “dagashiya.” The sweets sold there are unusual and use simple ingredients such as millet and brown sugar. These are different than the Japanese sweets, known as “wagashi,” used in tea ceremony. The number of “dagashiya” was 228,123 in the year 1972. However, the number shrunk to 74,304 in 2016. The candy at “dagashiya” is inexpensive and varied, which gives kids a sense of choice about how to spend their limited pocket money. Although “dagashi” can be found at convenience stores today, some people say these sweets are not as good. The oldest “dagashiya” in Japan is Kamikawaguchiya, which was established in 1781. (115 words)