Onigiri

2023/06/27

Akihiro Tabatake

Mita Kendo Club, Sanuki Mita-kai Member, 1974 Law

I live my daily life watched over by "Omusubi Mountain." It is with me when I am gardening, working in the fields, or visiting graves. This Omusubi Mountain refers to "Mount Iino" in Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture. This satoyama (village-proximate mountain) is shaped like an onigiri, not just in name. In other words, it is shaped like Mount Fuji, so locals call it "Sanuki Fuji." My alma mater's school songs also sing of it: "Beautiful Fuji" (Elementary School), "Near Iino" (Junior High School), and "At the foot of Fuji" (High School).

What made this Omusubi Mountain famous nationwide was the "1st National Satoyama Fuji Summit" held in Marugame City in November 2011. Local governments with satoyama shaped like Mount Fuji came together to promote them and announce their collaboration to the nation. At that time, there was also a hiking event for Mount Iino, which my family participated in. It was a 7-kilometer walk from Marugame Castle to Mount Iino and a climb up the 422-meter peak. I still fondly remember climbing the rugged mountain path, watching our step and calling out to each other.

Whether looking up at it, climbing it, or seeing it reflected in a reservoir, Mount Iino is the "Omusubi Mountain" that we are familiar with and proud of.

Shigeyuki Kanai

"Sanada no Koshikari Komatsuhime" Farmer, 1984 Law

It is no exaggeration to say that the deliciousness of an onigiri depends entirely on the quality of the rice, its main ingredient. Therefore, if you choose good rice, anyone can easily make something delicious.

With delicious rice, you can enjoy the sweet aroma of the steam when it's cooked, the moderate sweetness when chewing, the sticky texture, and the smooth swallow. So, how do you get such rice? Here is a suggestion. Why not try purchasing directly from professional farmers who are particular about taste? For your reference, among the farmers known as "regulars" who win awards every year at the world's largest rice contest, the "International Contest on Rice Tasting Evaluation," many handle everything from production to sales. You can easily search for the winners of each year's contest online. Please give it a try. By the way, Sanada no Koshikari Komatsuhime has won awards for seven consecutive years, including four Gold Prizes.

Taniriri

Agricultural Policy Journalist, 1989 Law

The popularity of omusubi is exploding. Specialty shops are opening in rapid succession, and convenience store chains are competing to launch new products. The secret to its popularity seems to lie in its history.

It began in the age of mythology. Rice, in which the spirit of the rice plant resides, was shaped like the mountains where the gods live and offered to the male deity Takamimusubi-no-kami and the female deity Kamimusubi-no-kami. The prototype of the omusubi was the "tonjiki" of the Heian period. These were balls of steamed glutinous rice granted to lower-ranking officials during court banquets (the term "omusubi" originated as court lady language).

It spread to the samurai during the Jokyu War. Hojo Masako inspired the Kamakura samurai with omusubi containing pickled plums (umeboshi). During the Sengoku period, it became a portable ration for soldiers, and it was finally in the Edo period that white omusubi made from polished rice spread to the common people.

And in the modern era. It was 7-Eleven that triggered the nationwide spread of triangular omusubi (for details, see my book "Adult Omusubi Study Workbook").

In fact, the secret to how Japan can remain a sustainable country is hidden in this history related to rice. For more details, please read my book "Learning Rice Farming SDGs from Rice Professionals" (Seiunsha).

"Learning Rice Farming SDGs from Rice Professionals: The 'Marketing Power' of 36 People Connecting the Dining Table and Satoyama"

Taniriri

Seiunsha 2022

Mori Kitamura

Professor at Cyber University Faculty of IT and Business, Product Journalist, 1991 Political Science

Convenience store onigiri have evolved significantly, with innovations in film packaging since the late 1970s greatly improving texture, and the variety of fillings expanding dramatically in the 21st century. What is the current situation as a result? Let me talk about it using the numbers "3," "2," and "1."

First, "3." It is said that convenience store onigiri account for as much as 30% of domestic seaweed (nori) consumption. This can be described as a typical case where a single product category has significantly changed the market structure.

Next, "2." Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided and restrictions on movement are disappearing, sales of convenience store onigiri are recovering significantly. For example, at Lawson, sales have reportedly been trending at about a 20% increase compared to the previous year since the beginning of this year.

Finally, "1." According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Family Income and Expenditure Survey, spending on onigiri by households of two or more people reached a record high of 5,172 yen last year—the highest ever compared to the past.

All of these figures show that convenience store onigiri are putting up a great fight, even in an era where people have long been said to be moving away from rice.