Hanami with Sanshoku Dango Amigurumi (Once Upon A Cheerio)・花見と三色団子あみぐるみ

Sanshoku dango (hanami dango) amigurumi.

Today is another sakura season themed amigurumi, sanshoku dango, also known as hanami dango, another popular wagashi和菓子 during hanami season. It is called sanshoku dango三色 団子, literally "three colour dumpling", because of its iconic 3 colours of pink, white and green. It's other name, hanami dango花見 団子, is because of its popularity during sakura season, and as a popular snack during hanami.

Of the 2 sanshoku dango amigurumi, I recycled the 3 large tangyuan amigurumi from my CNY 2022 tangyuan amigurumi pattern. The other one was made using the free hanami dango pattern by Once Upon A Cheerio. What I like about this pattern is that the amigurumi has a narrow inner tunnel for the skewer, so you don't actually have to pierce through the amigurumi. It is also very easy to make, perfect for crochet beginners.

Hanami dango amigurumi (Once Upon A Cheerio pattern)

Ironically, for a person who loves mochi and who is often in Japan, I've not eaten hanami dango in Japan... despite being there during sakura season at least 3 times. Or since the first time I tried it in late April 2012, during the sakura season at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. I confess I've not eaten it since then because my first impression of it wasn't favourable; it was cold and rather hard, not at all mochi-mochi in texture. Nor was it particularly tasty. But 2012 is...wow, a decade ago. I've had many types of mochi and dango many times since, but not hanami dango! So maybe it's time for another go.

Hanami dango during sakura season at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 29 April 2012.

Often, hanami dango has 3 flavours: sakura or strawberry flavour for the pink, plain for the white, and either yomogi (mugwort) or matcha for the green. But the highlight of hanami dango is really the texture, not so much the flavour. The 3 colours traditionally come from natural food colouring: shiso for the pink, the white is uncoloured, and yomogi for the green. In modern times, the green one is often flavoured and coloured with matcha (also because it's more readily available), while the pink one is often coloured using red food dyes or strawberry. (While looking up a natural food colouring substitute for the controversial Allura Red AC/Red 40, I learnt that beets are good neutral-flavoured natural pink food colouring.)

There are some slightly different explanations of the meaning of the 3 colours. One explanation is the colours symbolise the arrival/progress of spring: the last snows of winter giving way to the pink blossoms (sakura or plum) and the new leaves or grass. Another explanation is the colours symbolise the life cycle of the sakura. As explained in this sanshoku dango video by Kimono Mom, pink represents the buds, white for full bloom, and green for hazakura (at 6:30).

Pink buds, white blossoms. Somei Yoshino, Showa Kinen Park, Tokyo, 27 March 2018.

Hazakura葉桜 refers to the cherry tree in leaf, specifically the period when the blossoms start falling, revealing the young leaves. This particular period during the spring season is not as well known as the blossoming season (especially outside Japan), but it is no less interesting. As expressed in this haiku by Nagai Kafuu永井 荷風:

Hazakura ya葉ざくらや hito人 ni shirarenuに 知られぬ hiru asobi昼 あそび

Loosely translated, would mean something like:

Cherry trees in leaf
are a day-time pleasure
unknown to others.

The sight of the cherry trees gradually turning from pink to a tender green, is like the season of new growth in spring, a time known as shinryoku新緑 in Japan. The blooming sakura season is indeed a special time that is much celebrated, but the season of fresh green, shinryoku, though less popular and less celebrated, is no less significant. This reminds me of Watashitachi wa Douka shiteiru私たちはどうかしている, a manga I read some years ago. If Watadou sounds familiar, it's because the manga was adapted into a J-drama in August 2020, and the drama brought about a resurgence of interest in wagashi, in particular nerikiri, within and outside Japan. In chapter 2 of the manga, the MC (Nao/Sakura) presents a hazakura nerikiri, to express her wish that the soon-to-be-married couple have a harmonious and happy union with each passing season, and to express a deeper meaning: that happiness lies not only in special moments but also in everyday life. Later in the same chapter, the ML (Tsubaki) quotes a haiku by Hosomi Ayako, evoking the sense of everyday life after the end of a special time...though it seems to me that he is both acknowledging her ability, as well as mocking her.

Hazakura, when the blossoms have mostly fallen, leaving the new leaves. Otemon, Hirosaki Castle, April/May 2017 trip (IG).

At this time, most of Honshu is going through this period (hazakura), as the sakura season has mostly passed except for northern Japan, where it should be peak bloom in northern Honshu (Hirosaki) and Hakodate now, then the rest of Hokkaido in the following week.

Hirosaki, Hakodate and Sapporo have some really beautiful sakura viewing spots too. For one, Hirosaki Castle is especially lovely in the later part, when the moat is filled with fallen petals and the later blooming species, like the shidare-zakura, are in full bloom.

Petal-filled castle moat, Hirosaki Castle, April/May 2017 trip (IG).

For Hakodate, the best known and most popular spot for sakura is Goryokaku, Hakodate's historic western-styled star fort. Honestly, my one complaint about Goryokaku during this time is how impossible it is to go up the tower. Okay, it's possible if you're willing to queue for 2-3 hours. For that amount of time, I could be enjoying yummy food alongside the blossoms instead. Another spot is Hakodate Park, which I found a little underwhelming for blossoms when compared to Goryokaku, but is a fun and tasty visit for the local sakura matsuri. For Sapporo, my personal favourite sakura spots are actually Moerenuma Park and Makomanai Park, compared to Maruyama Park.

Hanami at Goryokaku, Hakodate, Golden Week 2017 (IG)

My stash of wagashi amigurumi seems to be steadily growing...though so far, mostly hanami season sweets and Kodomo no Hi sweets with the kashiwa mochi and kusamochi. But more on these another time...

The growing wagashi amigurumi stash: sakura mochi with shiozuke sakura, domyoji sakura mochi, chomeiji sakura mochi), sanshoku dango, kashiwa mochi and kusamochi.

Materials & Tools:

• Patterns
• Sakura mochi (with shiozuke sakura) - my own pattern;
• Sakura mochi (domyoji style) - sakura mochi amigurumi pattern by Ollie+Holly;
• Sakura mochi (chomeiji style) - my own pattern;
• Sanshoku dango - hanami dango amigurumi pattern by Once Upon A Cheerio;
• Sanshoku dango (with the kaomoji) - own tangyuan amigurumi pattern;
• Kashiwa mochi - my own pattern; and
• Kusamochi - my own pattern.
• Yarn
• Sirdar Cotton DK No.502 Vanilla;
• Sirdar Happy Cotton DK No.779 Fizz;
• Scheepjes Catona No.105 Bridal White, No.238 Powder Pink, No.222 Tulip, No.409 Soft Rose, No.396 Rose Wine, No.412 Forest Green, No.395 Willow.
• DMC Natura Just Cotton N13 Pistache.
• 2.5mm Clover Amour crochet hook
• Stuffing - cotton & polyester fiberfill
• DMC 25 embroidery thread

Sanshoku dango (hanami dango) amigurumi (based on tangyuan amigurumi pattern)