There’s a famous saying in Japan, hana yori dango, which literally translates as “dango over flowers” and is used to mean “substance over form." This meaning comes from the fact that dango (sweet glutinous rice balls skewered on a stick) are often eaten at hanami flower-viewing picnics, and while some prize the aesthetic beauty of the flowers over the sweets, others prefer the sweets to flowers.
It’s a saying that can be used in a variety of settings, but at Genbikei in Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture, you might hear people rephrasing it as “Genbikei yori dango”, because at this unique spot you’ll experience “dango over Genbikei”, both literally and figuratively.
▼ Genbikei is known as “Genbikei Gorge” in English.
People come from far and wide to view both the gorge and the so-called “flying dumplings”, which travel from one bank of the river to the other. Our reporter Saya Togashi was recently one of those visitors, even braving the inclement weather to get a taste of the unusual dango.
▼ The flying dumplings land here at the gazebo.
Though she’d been concerned that the rainy weather might’ve caused the flying dumpling service to be cancelled, she needn’t have worried because it was fully operational, with the setup below greeting her at the gazebo.
It’s an ingenious system where customers place their payment into the basket, with a one-person serving priced at 500 yen and a two-person serving priced at 1,000 yen. After you’ve placed your money in the basket, you’ll need to tap the wooden board beside the setup twice, using the attached wooden stick, which alerts the owner of the dumpling shop across the way that an order has been placed.
▼ The dumpling store is called Kakko Dango, which translates as Cuckoo Dango.
The clack of wood on wood is so loud it rings clear across the valley, and the pulley system immediately springs into action, with the basket disappearing along the wire rope as it heads towards Cuckoo Dango. Within seconds, the basket begins its return journey back to the gazebo, thanks to the skillful efforts of the owner, who manually operates the pulley so your order glides gracefully to you over the gorge.
Saya was impressed when she saw her delivery, as her box of sweets had been carefully packaged in a plastic bag to keep it dry, and it came with two cups of green tea that were in perfect condition, with no spills to be seen.
The package had a beautiful image of the pulley system in action, and as she opened the box while huddling with the other customers under the gazebo, she was pleased to find that the dango inside were absolutely gorgeous.
▼ These were large dango, with three different varieties per serving: black sesame, red bean paste and soy sauce.
They were so soft and delectable that they deserved to be a famous local specialty in their own right, without the need for any flying shenanigans.
She was happy for the shenanigans, though, as the pulley system really did delight everyone there that day, with people of all ages ordering dango one after the other.
There was no shortage of customers, and the dango shop did a gallant job of fulfilling everyone’s orders with speed and precision. However, there was one drawback to the unique dumplings — every time the basket moved, it attracted the attention of everyone around it, so rather than enjoying the views of the gorge, they became fully absorbed in the dango.
▼ Hence, Genbikei yori dango, or “dango over Genbikei."
It was one of the best dumpling experiences Saya has ever had, and is fully deserving of all the attention. You can even eat the dumplings inside the store too if you like, and that’s an experience in and of itself, especially if you’re a customer visiting from overseas, as the owner has a personal collection of national flags and anthems by his side. He’ll happily strike up a conversation with you and prop the flag of your country onto the side of the basket, along with a speaker which blares your national anthem out to the world as the basket delivers an order to the other side of the river.
It’s a kind and touching gesture that’ll stay with you forever, so next time you’re travelling in Japan, be sure to make a stop at Cuckoo Dango during business hours. It’s located in a mountainous area that receives a lot of snowfall, though, so it closes during the winter season, which this year runs from November 30 to mid-March. There are times when the flying dango sells out or stops operating due to strong winds too, but in the case of those events, a yellow tag will be put up at the store, which you’ll be able to see from the gazebo.
Though you’ll be tempted to give all your attention to the dumplings, the gorge itself is pretty spectacular too, with boat rides at nearby Genbikei being another must-do activity. The boat operators sing a beautiful traditional local song on the return leg of the journey, with the sound of their voices echoing around the gorge, creating another moving memory that’ll last you a lifetime.
Store information
Cuckoo Dango /かっこうだんご
Address: Iwate-ken, Ichinoseki-shi, Genbi-cho, Takinoue 211
岩手県一関市厳美町滝ノ上211
Open: 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (earlier if sold out) Business hours may vary slightly, with irregular holidays
Closed from December until early-mid March
Photos ©SoraNews24
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