Kakkō Dango, located at Genbikei Gorge in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, offers visitors the unique experience of enjoying freshly made dango delivered via a “flying” basket system that traverses the gorge.
At a gazebo on one side of the river, customers place payment into a basket— ¥500 yen for a single serving or ¥1,000 for a two-person serving. To alert the owner of the dumpling shop across the gorge, patrons tap a wooden board twice using a stick provided. The sound resonates clearly across the gorge, triggering the pulley system that carries the basket swiftly to the shop.
The owner expertly operates the manual pulley system, ensuring the basket returns with your order gliding smoothly back across the gorge.
Each serving includes two cups of tea and a box containing three skewers of dango, each coated in a different topping: smooth red bean paste (koshian), black sesame paste, and mitarashi sauce.
The dango were delightfully soft and tender, with just the right amount of chew. Generously coated toppings provided an excellent 2:1 dango-to-topping ratio, ensuring every bite was richly flavoured. Naturally, the green tea was the ideal accompaniment to the dango.
Smooth Red Bean Paste
The koshian offered a balanced sweetness with earthy, nutty notes, avoiding the dryness often found in some red bean pastes.
Black Sesame Paste
This was the standout topping, with a toasted nuttiness and rich, smooth texture that elevated the dango.
Mitarashi Sauce
Typically not a favourite, the mitarashi sauce here was surprisingly enjoyable. It avoided the overly gelatinous texture common in such sauces and delivered a well-balanced sweet and savoury soy flavour.
Tour groups visiting from overseas often receive special attention. The owner keeps a collection of national flags and anthems at hand, attaching the corresponding flag to the basket and playing the anthem as the order travels across the gorge. During the visit, a lively group of Taiwanese tourists added to the atmosphere.
Visitors can also enjoy their dango inside the shop itself. The store provides a fascinating view of the pulley system in action, adding another dimension to the experience. The novelty of the “flying” dango and the quality of the snack made the visit memorable. Even in the rain, Kakkō Dango proved to be a delightful and affordable treat.
Kakkō Dango (かっこうだんご) is located at Takinoue-211, Genbicho, Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture 021-0101, Japan.