駄菓子(だがし)

だがし
noun
cheap sweets; traditional penny candy
food
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(こども)の頃(ころ)、よく駄菓子(だがし)を買(か)った。
When I was a kid, I often bought cheap sweets.
近所(きんじょ)の駄菓子屋(だがしや)がなくなってしまった。
The neighborhood penny candy shop closed down.
最近(さいきん)、駄菓子(だがし)を大人(おとな)買(が)いする人(ひと)が増(ふ)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(だがしや) (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(だ) prefix means "inferior" or "cheap" (as in 駄目(だめ)), contrasting with 和菓子(わがし) (refined Japanese sweets).

Common collocations

  • 駄菓子屋(だがしや) (penny candy shop)
  • 駄菓子(だがし)を大人(おとな)買(が)いする (to buy up cheap sweets as an adult — a popular expression)
  • 懐(なつ)かしの駄菓子(だがし) (nostalgic cheap sweets)

Related Words

Compare: 和菓子(わがし) (refined Japanese sweets)
general
Added 2026.3.3 18:50 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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