A candy bar, a way out for adults.

The fact that it opens at 7:00 p.m. is kind of nice.
With that, my friend opens the door. The somewhat guilty smile on his face was quite appropriate.

Neverlando is a “bar” that mainly sells candy and retro games.However, the atmosphere there is more ambiguous and gentle. In other words, it is an after-school area for adults, or an extension of a child’s room that was never shown to anyone.

The first thing that catches the eye upon entering the store is the wall full of candy bars. There are always 80 varieties. Umaibo, Baby Star, Cabbage Taro, Cherry Cake, Moroccan Yogurt…. It smelled like a glass of after-school snacks from those days.

The charge was 590 yen per hour plus one drink. That’s it, and you can eat all the candy you want. I never thought that the day would come when I would have to seriously worry about which one to choose at my age.

And what surprised me more than anything–
I never thought it would be alcohol to go with the candy.

The alcohol gave a little push to those sweet and sour memories. I found myself reminiscing about my school days, my black history, and even painful stories that would be funny now, as the nostalgia piled up on the table.

Sound, light, and the touch of a button

On a table next to the counter sits a small video game console.
NES, SNES, NINTENDO64, Gamecube–
I never thought I would be reunited with those hardware consoles that I used to play sitting upright in front of the TV when I was a kid in a bar.

I never thought I’d see them again at a bar.
The controller for Rokuyon is still a strange shape even when you hold it now.
The touch of a single button reminds you of the way your hand moved back then. I am strangely impressed by the fact that human memory is so closely connected to the body.

The type of game changes daily. We laugh together as we did back then, compete a little more seriously, and end with “I knew it, 00, you’re the best.

Pixels on the screen and candy wrappers scattered on the table. The contrast is strangely pleasant.

Another world filled with the owner’s “likes

Looking up at the wall, American movie posters from the 70s and 80s line the wall. Back to the Future,” “The Goonies,” and “E.T.” ……. Next to them are faded figurines and other precious items that are no longer available.

All of them are the owner’s hobbies.”
The staff’s voice was somewhat proud as they told us this.

This restaurant has an air of “only those who know what they’re doing need to know what they’re doing. That is why I feel at ease.

When I was a child, I secretly hid these treasures in my room. Now I can proudly display them and say I love them. Just having such a place makes me feel that growing up is not so bad.

I want to see the things that never change once again as an adult.

When I come here, I feel like…I can get back to myself.”
On the way home, a friend of mine said to me in a whispered voice, “I’m not sure if this is a good idea.

This is probably not because the restaurant “offers” something, but because it “reminds” me of something.

The sweetness of the candy, the sound of the games, the faded posters, all of it gently shakes the memories that have been lying dormant somewhere in my mind.

Perhaps “Neverland” is a place for those who do not want to forget something.
And now that you have grown up, you may be able to love the things you loved back then once again.

For those who want to be a kid again, just a little bit, on a street corner at night.
Neverland, a secret base for candy and games, is quietly opening its doors today.