A candy shop with a twist is coming to the 4th floor of LUCUA Osaka’s Umeda-side venue, directly connected to JR Osaka Station. “DROP OUT – the Candy Shop of Life Flavors” runs on weekends only, from Saturday, November 28 to Sunday, December 6, 2026. It is an interactive event that turns real stories from people who experienced school non-attendance (futoko) into “flavors of life.” Admission is free.
The event is planned and produced by Ningen Inc. of Nishi-ku, Osaka, and hosted by RePlayce Inc., which runs HR Koto Gakuin, a correspondence-course high school. The stories on display were gathered from people in many situations, from students now in correspondence high schools to working adults. Students who themselves experienced school non-attendance also took part in the planning.
Pick a story, wrap a candy
The stories are sorted into four flavors — “sweet,” “refreshing,” “spicy” and “bittersweet” — each with a candy to match. Each story is printed on a candy “wrapper”: choose one you like and wrap the candy in it, and you have a piece that is yours alone.
It takes three steps. First, choose one story for each flavor from the “wrappers of life” on display. Next, wrap the matching candy in the wrapper you chose. Finally, take your four candies home — one of each flavor, free of charge.
The flavors break down like this:
- Sweet: good and happy things
- Refreshing: youth, romance and the like
- Spicy: surprises, nerves and the like
- Bittersweet: feeling down, failures and the like
What kind of stories are there?
One “sweet” story tells of someone who, while out of school, watched almost every popular variety show, got hooked, and grew up to work making TV programs. A “spicy” one recalls going out on a weekday daytime for the first time, being surprised at how slowly the town and trains seemed to move, and getting to attend a weekday event for a favorite act for the first time. And a “bittersweet” one is a story to make you laugh: someone streaming games late at night had a grandfather who was an electrician rewire the house’s breaker so the power to their room cut out every night at midnight.
What lies beyond the “normal” path
The organizers point to a survey by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. In fiscal 2024, 353,970 elementary and junior high school students in Japan were not attending school, a record high and the 12th straight yearly increase. Enrollment in correspondence high schools has also hit a record: they now serve about 1 in 10 high school students, and 1 in 5 if you count only private schools.
Even as the issue becomes more familiar, not going to school still carries a negative image for many. The event hopes to prompt a second look by showing the “deliciousness” people found after leaving the track. The organizers’ message is not to be heavy about “tasting life,” but simply to give it a lick and see.
Event details
- Event: DROP OUT – the Candy Shop of Life Flavors
- Dates: Saturday, November 28 to Sunday, December 6, 2026, weekends only (Nov 28 and 29, Dec 5 and 6)
- Hours: 11:00–19:00 (last entry 18:30)
- Admission: Free (candies are free to take home)
- Venue: sPACE event space, 4F LUCUA 1100 (3-1-3 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka; directly connected to JR Osaka Station)
- Website (Japanese): https://lp.hr-highschool.com/dropout
- Hosted by: HR Koto Gakuin
- Planning and production: Ningen Inc.
