1.
cheap sweets; traditional penny candy; snacks for children
Inexpensive sweets and snacks, typically costing 10-50 yen each, traditionally sold in small neighborhood shops. A nostalgic part of Japanese childhood culture.
子供の頃、よく駄菓子を買った。
When I was a kid, I often bought cheap sweets.
近所の駄菓子屋がなくなってしまった。
The neighborhood penny candy shop closed down.
最近、駄菓子を大人買いする人が増えているらしい。
Apparently, more and more adults are buying up cheap sweets in bulk these days.
A culturally significant term. 駄菓子屋 (penny candy shops) were once found in every neighborhood and were an important part of children's after-school life. Though many have closed, they remain a powerful symbol of nostalgia in Japan.
The 駄 prefix means "inferior" or "cheap" (as in 駄目), contrasting with 和菓子 (refined Japanese sweets).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 駄菓子屋 (penny candy shop)
- 駄菓子を大人買いする (to buy up cheap sweets as an adult — a popular expression)
- 懐かしの駄菓子 (nostalgic cheap sweets)