New Japanese snacks lets you enjoy the spiritual food of Osaka with onigiri.
Tasty salmon is by far the most popular stuffing for onigiri (Japanese rice balls). Seasoned cod roe and tuna remain crowd favorites, but the beauty of this wonderful snack is that as long as it tastes good, it deserves to be buried in rice.
Figuring that Japanese people have a soft spot for takoyaki (balls of batter filled with diced octopus) and okonomiyaki (savory pancake), convenience store chain Lawson has combined them with the nation’s beloved rice ball snack.
▼ We made a trip to a store and spotted our prey nestled
among bizarre fried oyster onigiri and braised egg onigiri.
▼ And here’s our loot for the day:
okonomiyaki (left) and takoyaki (right) rice balls.
For a paltry 100 yen each (US$0.94) these two felt like they could fill our stomachs easily. Unwrapping the takoyaki one first, we were startled to find a whole ball of batter encased by an outer shell of rice.
▼ We had no idea they would literally bury an entire octopus ball in there.
Biting into it brought forth a burst of savory takoyaki flavors accompanied by mayonnaise and bits of seaweed. It was a great concept marred by the fact that the combination didn’t really mesh well together, feeling more like eating octopus balls with rice rather than a homogeneous blend of exciting tastes.
▼ Nevertheless, we couldn’t deny its visual impact.
Next up was the okonomiyaki rice ball, and judging by what we got from the previous morsel, we had a hunch it would be a tasty pancake slapped onto a ball of rice.
▼ And we were right.
▼ It’s certainly not the most visually appealing of foods,
but how else would you make an okonomiyaki onigiri?
After sampling the two snacks available only in Lawson stores, we believed it was only a matter of time before they start cramming entire salmon sushi into tiny rice balls. Which might not be such a bad idea considering one brave establishment actually made onigiri with fish butts sticking out of them.
Source: Lawson Store 100
Images: ©SoraNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]
Great balls of octopus and rice! It’s the Takoyaki Onigiri
Takoyaki Party and Italian fully-loaded rice balls coming to NewDays for a limited time
New cookbook turns the uni-tasker takoyaki maker into a versatile multi-tasker
KFC Taiwan now offering chicken and rice menu based on Japanese okonomiyaki pancakes!
Convenience store onigiri rice balls become even more expensive…but are they worth it?
Studio Ghibli releases the My Neighbour Totoro tea caddy, with a magical self-closing lid
Create a tiny Ghibli anime world on your bookshelf with new miniature papercraft art kits
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Why you should be adding Calpis to your beer in Japan
A secluded British mansion in Chiba is a hidden holy land for afternoon tea lovers
Are 500-yen noodles at Akihabara Ramen Center a great find or cheap miss?
Nine amazing off-the-beaten-path cherry blossom spots in Japan for yaezakura and shidarezakura
Mister Donut wows matcha lovers in Japan with new Dora Matcha doughnuts
Nissin Donbei to sell Classic line of instant udon and soba noodles for its 50th anniversary
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Stunning central Japan wisteria festival is like a purple fantasy straight out of a Ghibli movie
When will the cherry blossoms reach full bloom in Japan this year?[Forecast]
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Everything you need to know about takoyaki (octopus balls) 【Video】
Japanese convenience store packs a whole bento into an onigiri rice ball
In celebration of Onigiri Day, we compare rice balls from three different convenience stores
Takoyaki ice cream appears at Japanese convenience store chain
Survey ranks convenience store rice balls – salmon, sea-dwelling poultry & plants steal the show
Are high-end convenience store rice balls really packed with more ingredients?
Which convenience store onigiri rice balls are the most popular? Survey reveals surprising results
Takoyaki store in Tsukiji serves up dried bonito flakes even bigger than the octopus balls
Onigiri taste test: Which convenience store will win?
Onigiri Bread from Japanese convenience store chain changes everything we know about rice balls
Japanese convenience store showdown – Who’s got the best ikura rice balls?【Taste test】
Japanese convenience store’s newest rice ball filling: Nothing at all, and why we’re OK with that
Which Japanese convenience store has the best salted onigiri rice balls?
Japan Railways recently revealed ramen-style rice balls in its convenience stores
Survey finds that Osaka people don’t eat takoyaki octopus balls as much as you’d think
Lawson convenience store teaches us how to make okonomiyaki with no knife or bowl 【SoraKitchen】