If you love mochi and all things chewy, make a pitstop at Hakata Yamadaya. This sweets shop from Fukuoka specialises in dango, or Japanese rice flour dumplings, served with flavoured toppings.
In fact, we’ve never seen such a wide variety of dango, as you can order them as a simple skewer of three dumplings, in a cup or bottled in glass jars. Better yet, have them skewered on an extra-long stick, which can fit between 19 and 25 dango, each with a different topping (the 19-flavour stick costs just ¥999).
The toppings on offer range from the standard (such as classic mitarashi, or sweetened soy sauce glaze) to the unusual (such as zunda or crushed edamame beans, Ramune soda, and purple sweet potato).
Aside from dango, Hakata Yamadaya also offers daifuku mochi filled with seasonal fruit and matcha ice cream parfait topped with – you guessed it – dango.