Botchan Dango: Where to Eat, Prices & Hours (Ehime)

Botchan dango is a three color skewered sweet that symbolizes Dogo Onsen. Matcha (green), egg (yellow), and red bean paste (brown) in three colors wrap a chewy gyuhi mochi center in a colorful, bite sized treat. It is named after a scene in Natsume Soseki novel Botchan, in which the hero eats dango on his way back from Dogo Onsen, and it is a classic snack for a stroll around Dogo.

Origin and History

The name traces back to yuzarashi dango, a sweet long sold at Dogo Onsen. The venerable shop Tsuboya Kashiho, founded in 1883, is said to be the model for the dango shop Soseki depicted in his work, and its second generation owner is said to have devised the three color Botchan dango based on the yuzarashi version. Today several confectioners in Dogo and Matsuyama make their own versions, and longer keeping types are widely sold at souvenir shops.

Highlights

The green, yellow, and brown lined up on a skewer look like a small work of art. The appeal is tasting the different flavors of each paste at once, and its cute appearance also makes it a popular photogenic snack. Sliding each piece off the skewer to compare the sweetness of each color is one way to enjoy it.

Enjoying the Seasons

It can be enjoyed all year, but a skewer after a bath at Dogo Onsen is especially fine. Eating it while walking through the hot spring town is also recommended. In recent years, hands on shops where you choose your own colors and combinations have appeared, adding a new pleasure to a Dogo visit.

Practical Travel Notes

It can be bought at sweet shops around Dogo Onsen Honkan and along the Dogo Haikara Dori shopping street, just a short walk from Dogo Onsen Station. Some shops let you drop in and enjoy a single skewer on the spot, while others sell boxed sets for souvenirs. Hours and closing days differ by shop, so if food strolling is your aim it is wise to check each shop in advance. Shelf life varies by product, so confirm the best before date when choosing a gift to carry far.

A Quick Tip

Freshly made ones are especially soft, highlighting the chewiness of the gyuhi. Try it with tea during a relaxing moment after a bath.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Main areas where it is sold: Around the shopping streets of Matsuyama City and Dogo Onsen. It can be bought all year round.
• The shop said to have originated it: Tsuboya Kashiho (14-23 Dogo Yunomachi, Matsuyama City / tel. 089-921-2227), open 9:30-18:00. Closed on Tuesdays (the following Wednesday when Tuesday is a public holiday). It is about 2 minutes on foot from Dogo Onsen Station on the Iyotetsu Jonan Line.
• Guide to prices: The Botchan dango at Tsuboya Kashiho costs 280 yen for a pack of 2 skewers, 700 yen for 5 skewers and 1,400 yen for 10 skewers (official menu).
• Points to note: Both Tsuboya Kashiho and Utsuboya state publicly that they do not use eggs (Tsuboya's bean pastes are matcha, white and adzuki). The Botchan dango of Utsuboya is served as the tea sweet at the Dogo Onsen Honkan.
• Takeaway: Tsuboya Kashiho can be bought at its long-standing shopfront in Dogo and also through its official online shop.

Note: Opening hours and prices differ from shop to shop.

(Sources: Tsuboya Kashiho official website; official website of the Matsuyama Convention and Visitors Bureau; Utsuboya official website)

Sources of Information

This article is compiled from the tourist information of Matsuyama City and Ehime Prefecture and from information published by each shop. Prices and product details may change, so please check the official information of each shop for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Guide to the budget: From a few hundred yen for one skewer or one box
• Where you can eat it: Confectionery shops and souvenir shops around Dogo Onsen
• Recommended time of day: Available all year round. Also good as a snack after your bath
• Avoiding the crowds: The souvenir shops in Dogo get busy in the evening. Daytime is more relaxed
• Enjoy it together with: Dogo Onsen Honkan, and snacking your way along Haikara-dori