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!
7-Eleven Japan now sells… hot takoyaki!
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Two new Sailor Moon art manhole covers are coming to Usagi’s real-world Tokyo neighborhood
Krispy Kreme releases new limited-edition fox doughnuts at only four stores in Japan
What makes the Starbucks Japan chocolate terrine so popular?
KFC Japan’s “The American Burgers” include a pile of guilt
Gundam teams up with 300-year-old daruma maker for wood-carved anime mecha figures[Photos]
Government says 5.7 trillion yen of Japanese media was pirated last year, thinks AI could help
Tokyo restaurant offers lunches for less than 1 U.S. cent…if you’re good enough at rock-paper-scissors
Pizza Hut Japan’s drinkable curry pizza is here – Is it all we dreamed it would be?[Taste test]
Japan’s izakaya pubs closing at record pace, failing to attract foreign tourists
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Japan has a new cute and clever sunblock for cat lovers
Tokyo’s new extra-expensive ramen restaurant is dividing opinions, so we tried a bowl
Japanese temple burns to the ground, fire burning inside for 1,200 years unharmed
Japan’s instant ramen snack theme park features an athletic course even adults can enjoy
Krispy Kreme Japan is bringing two special donuts to the most-forgotten big city in the country
Starbucks Japan hoping fans will go bananas for its new mottainai banana affogato Frappuccino
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Japan now has gyoza doughnuts, and they taste like no other doughnut we’ve tried before
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
This Tokyo Station sweets sensation sells out daily, but we finally got our hands on it
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
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
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Convenience store onigiri rice balls become even more expensive…but are they worth it?
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
Survey ranks convenience store rice balls – salmon, sea-dwelling poultry & plants steal the show
Takoyaki ice cream appears at Japanese convenience store chain
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
Japanese convenience store brings rice balls back to 100 yen – Is this deal worth it?[Taste test]
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