Rice balls are popular in Japan

Wrapped in seaweed and stuffed with fresh ingredients, onigiri rice balls are shedding their cheap, common image in Japan, becoming a quality dish that attracts even foreign visitors.

On a quiet street corner in Tokyo, nearly 50 people lined up for Onigiri Bongo to open. "No one used to come in the afternoon. Now there are so many customers, the line keeps going," said Yumiko Ukon, 71, who has run the restaurant for more than half a century.

Onigiri Bongo sells about 60 varieties of onigiri, from traditional fillings like pickled plums to more "modern" fillings like bacon with soy sauce.

The restaurant has only nine seats, but sells 1,200 rice balls a day. Ms. Ukon said some customers have to wait up to eight hours. "When I was young, onigiri was something people made at home. Now people buy them outside."

Ms. Yumiko Ukon serves rice balls at Onigiri Bongo restaurant, Otsuka ward, Tokyo, December 2023. Photo: AFP

The Japanese have been eating onigiri rice balls for over a millennium. Onigiri are small, portable meals that samurai carried into battle with. Today, onigiri can be found in convenience stores across Japan.

In 2019, the Michelin Guide added Tokyo's oldest rice ball restaurant, Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku, to its list. This event significantly raised the status of onigiri.

"Since then, diners have started to regard rice balls as a quality dish, instead of just seeing them as a common everyday food," said Yusuke Nakamura, president of the Japan Onigiri Association.

In 2022, onigiri was the second-best-selling instant food in Japan, behind only bento boxes. Data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs shows that Japanese people increased their spending on onigiri and other ready-made rice dishes by 66% over the past two decades. Following Michelin's decision, the number of onigiri restaurants also increased rapidly.

Japanese diners choose onigiri at Taro Tokyo Onigiri, December 2023. Photo: AFP

The onigiri craze was also fueled by increased demand for takeaway meals during the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by inflation, causing office workers to tighten their purse strings for lunch.

President Nakamura explained that domestic rice prices have been relatively stable, while imported grains such as wheat have become expensive due to the war in Ukraine.

Rice plays a profound and important role in Japanese culture. According to Shinto, rice is an offering to the gods. The traditional triangular shape of onigiri rice balls may represent the mountains where many gods reside.

Onigiri are also making their way around the world , as Japan welcomes record numbers of tourists and Japanese culture becomes more popular. The rice ball chain Omusubi Gonbei has opened stores in Paris and New York. Many foreign diners are increasingly seeing onigiri as a healthy lunch option.

"This dish is light, easy to eat and healthy. There's no need to worry about calories when eating a handful of rice," said New York diner Sean King, 53.

American diners choose to buy onigiri rice balls in New York, December 2023. Photo: AFP

The Yamada family, longtime rice farmers in Fukushima, recognized the potential of onigiri after the rice promotion after the 2011 nuclear disaster. She posted pictures of beautifully presented rice balls on social media, and the business has grown ever since.

Onigiri shops often lack the financial resources to advertise, but photos of colorful rice balls with a variety of fillings circulating on social media have played a major role in increasing the popularity of onigiri, said Nakamura.

Younger diners are starting to gravitate towards premium rice balls. These variations are made from quality ingredients, come in a variety of fillings, and the rice is mixed with grains for extra nutrition.

In 2022, Taro Tokyo Onigiri will open two new locations in the capital, selling premium onigiri, priced at around 430 yen a handful (about $2.85). Miyuki Kawarada, 27, the company’s president, has ambitions to open dozens of locations overseas, hoping that onigiri will one day overtake sushi as the country’s most famous culinary export.

“In Japan as well as abroad, I wanted to refresh the classic, old-fashioned image of rice balls. This dish is easy to adapt to many cultures, and can be vegan or halal,” she said.

Duc Trung (According to AFP )

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