Small entrance in front of the park.

The south side of Minose Park.
In the faded townscape, an orange signboard stands alone.
It says “candy store” in white letters.

When was the last time I went to a candy store?
Thinking this, I follow the children with their school bags on their backs and pass through the small door.

The name of the store is “Minose Shop.
The owner’s mother started the store, and now her son is running it by himself.

At first, she was going to close the shop. However, the children’s encouragement to keep running the shop pushed him to make the decision to continue. from the children pushed him to keep running the store.

There is a nostalgic atmosphere in the shop, like the living room of a house.

Display from a child’s point of view

Candy packages fill the walls.
Umaibo, Baby Star, Kuppy Ramune. Just looking at the names makes me feel a sweet and sour taste in the back of my tongue.

The owner of the store told me to look at the back of the shelf, and I squatted down to take a look.
I squat down and see laminated packages and small characters at eye level.

A small world just for children spreads out in a place that cannot be seen from an adult’s back.
This entire store is made from the perspective of children.

The shelves and displays are DIY, handmade, and the love is palpable.
I was impressed by the slightly embarrassed smile on the owner’s face as she said, “I want them to have fun.

Catching up on spending money and conversation

Every child who comes to this store has a small purse in his or her hand.
One hundred yen, two hundred yen. They think hard about what they can buy with the pocket money they receive from their parents.

“Pops, how much money do I have left if I buy this?”
I have 40 yen left.”
“Well, I can buy this and …… a raffle ticket, too!

Such exchanges were going on incessantly in front of the cash register.
The prices are clearly displayed and the lottery system is simple.
The owner does not just sell sweets, but values the experience of “choosing.

Choosing and thinking.
It is surely one of the preparations for becoming an adult.

The thrill of the lottery

Next to the cash register, colorful winning raffles are posted.
All of them are small boasts that someone has won.
The raffle is an added bonus when you buy a bottled drink.

If you win, you get a golden ticket worth 50 or 100 yen.
Even if you don’t win, the thrill of opening the raffle is irreplaceable.

I once won 100 yen.

My hand trembles a little as I draw the raffle ticket.
The winning child walks out of the store looking like a hero.

The Job of Watching Over the Children

The owner stands at the store from 8:00 in the morning to 6:00 in the evening, seven days a week, all year round.
He does more than just watch over them. He also plays an important role in teaching “greetings” to children.

When they come in, I make sure they say ‘Hello. They may be shy at first, but they gradually learn to say it.

I felt that these words encapsulated the “value” of this place, which is more than just a pastry shop.

A candy bar may be something you can buy for just a few tens of yen.
But what the children get at this store are all things that cannot be put into monetary terms.

Memories, once again, in their hands.

I didn’t know this kind of store still existed.”
It is said that adults sometimes wander into the store saying so.

Their backs are squinting as they look at the shelves of sweets, as if searching for a distant memory.
I am sure that they are looking at their own memories of their time at the candy store.

The tastes, voices, and smells he remembers from his childhood.
They still echo sweetly in the depths of my memory.

Afterword

The candy shop “Minose Shop” is not just a nostalgic place.
It is a “school outside of school” for local children and a place for adults to unwind.

Next time you visit Fuse, look for that sign in front of Minose Park.
With some pocket money and a little bit of courage in your pocket.
I am sure you will see the person you were that day.