We used to post regularly about new Neko Dango dumpling plushies from San-ei but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen any so I was very happy to discover they’re still going strong. I’ve tracked down a few shops that stock the plush so here’s a look at the cutest new releases and I’ll put the links at the end.
Neko Dango are actually celebrating their 10th anniversary this year so of course there are special plush. Both the black king and white queen have crowns and fur-trimmed capes, plus there’s also a re-release of the very first cats in white and grey.
My personal favourites are the Local designs, which are themed around the Kansai region of Japan including matcha and haori coats for Kyoto, deer for Nara and an octopus and takoyaki for Osaka. I want the takoyaki so badly! It’s too cute with even the little ‘wooden’ boat dish to sit in.
There are 12 flower designs in matching pastel colours so you should be able to find one of your favourites, especially if you play Animal Crossing.
You can even get accessories for your cats including cat carriers, drawstring bags, orange box, onsen bathtubs and this amazing cat house. The accessories fit 1-4 cats so are great for displays.
As well as cats, San-ei also make dumpling-shaped birds (Toridango), which include everything from budgies and owls to penguins and toucans, plus some accessories. There used to be bunnies (Rabidango) too but they have mostly been discontinued.
Sadly, the annual Halloween Neko Dangos no longer seem to be a thing – who remembers this spooky trio complete with plush coffin display case? – but San-ei did release these Christmas designs last year so if you love the holidays, keep an eye on their official Instagram @sanei_dangofriends for news.
Where To Buy Neko Dango Plush
You can view all the Dango Friends and latest news on the San-ei website but they don’t have a shop. For resellers, both Plaza Japan and Japan Figure ship worldwide from Japan. Amazon Japan also has stock including rarer designs but not all sellers will ship outside Japan so you may need to use a forwarding service. If you want to try other Japanese sites, you can use the search terms ねこだんご (Nekodango) とりだんご (Toridango) and らびだんご (Rabidango).
The plush are really affordable (well under £10/$13 each) and small enough that shipping costs should be low too so I’m sure I’ll be tempted to add to my collection soon.
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