Mihashi, the Sweet Shop I Can’t Forget

Every time I walk past Mihashi on Chuo Street, I look in through the window. Today, at last, I let myself be pulled inside.

A weekday afternoon. Most of the customers were elderly Japanese — half of them couples, half of them on their own. Women by themselves, but men by themselves too. Their chatter sounded just like my grandmother’s (women’s voices always carry further than men’s), and I found myself remembering her.

And what a crowd of older people! None of them looked wealthy, and yet here they were, treating themselves to something sweet. This shop is truly loved by that generation. And I love it here too. My mother and I have been visiting the wagashi shops in this neighborhood since I was a child — this is one of them.