Translation guide
In Japanese, the most common way to say 'candy store' is 駄菓子屋 (dagashiya), which refers to a small shop selling cheap snacks and candies, often with a nostalgic, old-fashioned feel. For a general sweets shop, お菓子屋 (okashiya) is used. In modern contexts, a convenience store or supermarket is more common for buying candy.
A small, often old-fashioned shop specializing in cheap candies and snacks, typically frequented by children.
The standard term for a traditional Japanese candy store. It evokes nostalgia and is strongly associated with childhood.
子供の頃、よく駄菓子屋に行った。
When I was a child, I often went to the candy store.
A slightly more polite or affectionate way to refer to a dagashiya, often used by children or when speaking warmly about the shop.
あの駄菓子屋さんはまだあるのかな。
I wonder if that candy store is still there.
A shop that sells a variety of sweets, including higher-quality or Western-style confectionery, not limited to cheap snacks.
A general term for a sweets shop. It can refer to both traditional Japanese and Western-style confectionery stores.
駅前にお菓子屋ができた。
A candy store opened in front of the station.
A more formal term for a confectionery shop, often used in writing or for upscale stores.
老舗の菓子店で和菓子を買った。
I bought Japanese sweets at a long-established confectionery shop.
In everyday life, Japanese people often buy candy at convenience stores or supermarkets rather than specialized candy stores.
Instead of using a specific term for 'candy store', it's more natural to say you buy candy at a convenience store (コンビニ).
コンビニでお菓子を買って食べた。
I bought some candy at the convenience store and ate it.
Similarly, supermarkets are common places to buy candy.
スーパーのお菓子売り場で選ぶのが楽しい。
It's fun to choose at the candy section of the supermarket.
The direct loanword キャンディストア is not commonly used in Japanese. It may be understood but sounds unnatural. Use 駄菓子屋 or お菓子屋 instead.
駄菓子屋 are nostalgic symbols of childhood in Japan. They sell cheap snacks (駄菓子) often priced at 10-100 yen. Many have a distinctive atmosphere with glass jars and a friendly owner. They are less common today but still exist in some neighborhoods.
あの商店街に有名なお菓子屋がある。
There's a famous candy store in that shopping street.