Now, for the fourth stop after dinner, we decided to head to "Haniedango" in Higashi-Nippori, Arakawa-ku. The main store is currently closed for rebuilding their own building since last month. They are selling directly from a temporary factory, and they offer a discount equivalent to the consumption tax. We bought one "yaki dango" and one "an dango" for 250 yen each. We also got a box of "Shizuku-an" with 12 pieces for 800 yen and a "Petit Monaka" for 100 yen, making a total of 1,150 yen (tax included). The taste of the dango speaks for itself... and the Shizuku-an is also a delight with its refined sweet bean paste.

I went to the main store of Haneju Dango to try the dango introduced by Ariyoshi-kun on his show yesterday, but it was unexpectedly under renovation. So, I walked to the factory direct sales store for a stroll. There was a sign on the door at the back of the garage saying "Please feel free to enter," which might be confusing if you didn't know. When I mentioned that I saw the TV show yesterday, the cute shop assistant was very happy. I bought the grilled dango for 250 yen and the sweet bean paste dango for 250 yen, with tax included, to take home.

■Haneju Dango, which has been closed until 2019, is now operating near Nippori Station as an alternative to the main store. It has been around since the Edo period and is believed to be the dango shop on Imozaka depicted in the works of Natsume Soseki and Masaoka Shiki. The original Haneju Dango store managed to survive fires during the Great Kanto Earthquake and World War II. The current store, which is 47 years old, is undergoing renovations due to aging, and has been closed since February 12, 2017. However, the Haneju Dango at the Nippori ecute store and the Nippori Station store are still open. During the closure of the main store, the dango is being produced at a temporary factory located between Machiya Station and Shin-Mikawashima Station. In addition to production, the factory also sells directly to customers. Just like the main store, it is open year-round from 9:00 to 17:00. ■Grilled Dango When you think of Haneju Dango, you think of this - the soy sauce-flavored grilled dango. As soon as you open the lid, a strong soy sauce aroma fills the air. The flat, slightly flattened shape of the dango is soft and chewy. I wonder if Natsume Soseki had a taste of these. ■Koshi-an Petit Senbei I was planning to buy some anko dango, but what caught my eye was this - the Koshi-an Petit Senbei. The rolled anko is wrapped in plastic and does not come into contact with the senbei. The cute grilled dango stamp on the senbei is adorable. Remove the plastic from the anko and combine it with the senbei! The crispy texture of the senbei is delightful. The smooth anko's subtle sweetness is pleasing. They will be operating until 2019. The article being referenced can be found here: https://goo.gl/M5CaGH

Although it is a factory, the pricing is the same as a regular store, which I found surprising. Despite claiming to have special prices, there were no discounts at all. The taste is comparable to that of a regular store, with elegant red bean paste and moist mochi that is delicious. However, there is no need to go out of your way to visit this place. You can find similar options at the stations in Nippori and Nishi-Nippori. Disappointing.