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1
Combine joshinko with water (or silken tofu for the Kyoto hanami version) and knead until the dough is smooth, uniform, and firm — it must not be sticky. For hanami dango, divide the dough into three equal portions: leave one plain (white), work sakura no shio-zuke liquid into the second (pink), and work matcha into the third (green). For yomogi dango, fold blanched puréed mugwort into the dough at no more than 10% of the dough's total weight. Roll each portion into balls of equal size — approximately 2–3 cm in diameter. The dough is ready when it is smooth and holds a clean round form without cracking.
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2
Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a full rolling boil. Drop the dango balls in batches, taking care not to crowd the pot. They will sink initially. Watch the surface: when each ball rises and floats freely, it is cooked through — remove it immediately with a slotted spoon. Do not wait; even a brief overboil renders the texture rubbery and unrecoverable. Transfer at once to a bowl of cold water to arrest cooking, then drain.
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3
Thread the cooked dango onto bamboo skewers — five per skewer for festival style, three for formal service. For mitarashi dango, place the skewered balls over a charcoal grill (binchotan produces the correct heat and smoke character). Grill, turning, until distinct char spots appear on the surface of each ball. This is where the dish lives or dies: the char spots are not a fault to be avoided — they are the essential bitter-sweet counterpoint to the sweet soy glaze that follows. A dango without char has no harmonic contrast, only sweetness.
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4
Prepare the mitarashi sauce: combine dashi, soy sauce, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat, add the katakuriko slurry, and stir to incorporate fully. Return to medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy and sticky. Test by lifting the spoon and drizzling: the sauce must coat and fall in a slow, heavy ribbon — a thin, running sauce will not adhere to the dango and is insufficient.
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5
Brush the charred dango generously with mitarashi sauce while both are still hot, or serve the sauce alongside in a small ceramic pot for dipping. Dango hardens and loses its yielding texture within two hours; serve and consume within one hour of making. The finished skewer presents the correct three-note sensory balance: char bitterness from the grill, rice sweetness from the dough, and caramelised depth from the glaze.