Furuya Kogane-an

Open the box and the first thing you see is not the dango, but black sesame packed tightly around them. At Furuya Kogane-an, the Koga-oto dango makes an impression even before the first bite: you have to part the sesame to find it. Some people who have tried it describe the dango as soft, with sesame that is restrained in sweetness and has just a touch of salt. There is enough sesame left over to make it worth transferring the contents to a dish before eating; any extra can also be enjoyed with other food or ice cream.

For a different flavour from the richness of sesame, mitarashi dango is another option. It comes with plenty of sweet-and-savoury sauce, and one reported way to enjoy the leftover sauce is to serve it with grilled mochi the next day.

Other sweets mentioned among the shop's offerings include mochi dorayaki, whose skin is made with mochi flour and has a notably chewy texture, and zunda dorayaki. If buying sesame dango as a gift, it is best to plan to enjoy it soon after purchase. If a longer shelf life matters, consider asking in the shop about other sweets.