{"id":11359,"date":"2016-04-19T11:00:48","date_gmt":"2016-04-19T10:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.insidejapantours.com\/?p=11359"},"modified":"2016-04-20T09:11:56","modified_gmt":"2016-04-20T08:11:56","slug":"onigiri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2016\/04\/19\/onigiri\/","title":{"rendered":"Onigiri: The best invention ever!"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11359&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11359\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11359&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11359&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11359%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11359\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11359\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p><strong>In this blog post, InsideJapan tour leader Mark Fujishige extols the virtues of the humble <em>onigiri<\/em>: the Japanese rice ball.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>A staple of any healthy anime- or manga-based diet should include a triangular-shaped object made of rice, with or without seaweed and\/or filling. This would be the beloved <em>onigiri<\/em>. While you can\u2019t believe everything you see on television, this is something you can file under the \u201ctruth!\u201d category with confidence. The <em>onigiri<\/em> does indeed hold place of pride on the Japanese table and in the heart.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11362 size-medium-plus-size aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/PokemonOnigiri-510x408.jpg\" alt=\"PokemonOnigiri\" width=\"510\" height=\"408\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/PokemonOnigiri-510x408.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/PokemonOnigiri-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/PokemonOnigiri-564x451.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/PokemonOnigiri-720x576.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/PokemonOnigiri-390x312.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/PokemonOnigiri.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I won\u2019t be telling you how to make <em>onigiri<\/em> or extolling its culinary virtues and possibilities (I\u2019ll save that for another day). I want to look a little closer at what I consider one of the best food-related Japanese inventions ever: the packaging.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s generally believed that rice, as so many other things, came to Japan from continental Asia via the Korean peninsula. Fossilized rice plants found in Okayama Prefecture indicate the possibility that it has been in Japan for 6,000 years. That\u2019s definitely enough time for it to become established as a pillar of the Japanese diet. In fact, it was so valuable that at one time, it was even used as currency.<\/p>\n<p>In a similar way, <em>nori<\/em>, dried sheets of seaweed, also reached Japan via the Korean peninsula, and happened a bit more recently; think late 16<sup>th<\/sup> century. However, the value that <em>nori<\/em> holds is one of nutrition. Packed with vitamins, nutrients, and enough iodine to keep your hair black for decades (according to my grandmother), seaweed has been an integral part of the Japanese diet for centuries.<\/p>\n<p>Now, fast-forward about a hundred years to late 17<sup>th<\/sup> century, around the middle of the Edo Period (1603 \u2013 1868), and you\u2019ll find the <em>onigiri<\/em> in a form that we\u2019re familiar with today: <em>nori<\/em> wrapped around rice. The <em>nori<\/em> keeps your fingers free of the sticky rice, the rice keeps you full, and the format is a prime example of on-the-go sustenance.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11360\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11360\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium-plus-size wp-image-11360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ConbiniOnigiri-510x383.jpg\" alt=\"Onigiri at a Japanese convenience store (konbini)\" width=\"510\" height=\"383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ConbiniOnigiri-510x383.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ConbiniOnigiri-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ConbiniOnigiri-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ConbiniOnigiri-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ConbiniOnigiri-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ConbiniOnigiri-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ConbiniOnigiri-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ConbiniOnigiri-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ConbiniOnigiri-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ConbiniOnigiri-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ConbiniOnigiri-780x585.jpg 780w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11360\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Onigiri at a Japanese convenience store (<em>konbini<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Moving on to the more recent past: the 1970s. Here we find changing tastes and trends, and the preferred style of <em>onigiri<\/em> is one with crisp <em>nori<\/em>. It\u2019s easy to imagine how a dry sheet of seaweed wrapped around a moist ball of rice would turn soft and pliable in a matter of minutes, but not quite so easy to imagine a way of keeping the <em>nori<\/em> as crisp as possible for as long as possible, with mess and hassle kept to virtually nil.<\/p>\n<p>Fast-forward one more time, just a few years, to the end of that decade. Here we find, \u201cM-san,\u201d who worked at a shop selling prepared food in the city of Iida, Nagano Prefecture. This is the brilliant mind that first developed the cellophane packaging system that would keep the moist rice and dry <em>nori<\/em> separate until moments before consumption. Enter an entrepreneurial wholesale dealer, and the rest is culinary and cultural history. These days, you can even <a href=\"http:\/\/global.rakuten.com\/en\/store\/suzuyosi\/item\/k-3821\/?s-id=borderless_browsehist_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">purchase<\/a> <em>nori<\/em> encased in the cellophane wrappers, so you can make your <em>onigiri<\/em> at home, but still enjoy crisp <em>nori<\/em>. May wonders never cease!<\/p>\n<p>At the Miraikan in Tokyo, you can marvel at and interact with some of the latest developments in science and technology that are shaping our futures. However, at the nearest 7-11, you can experience an invention of a different greatness. One that, I think, enriches our culinary lives in no small way.<\/p>\n<p>Below you&#8217;ll find a video demonstrating the &#8220;correct&#8221; way to utilize this food technology, and unwrap the little bundle of joy.<\/p>\n<p><em>Itadakimasu<\/em>! (Let\u2019s eat!)<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 1280px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-11359-1\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/onigiri.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/onigiri.mp4\">https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/onigiri.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<p><em>Video: Anna Fujishige<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? 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Help us by sharing it! In this blog post, InsideJapan tour leader Mark Fujishige extols the virtues of the humble onigiri: the Japanese rice ball. Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2366],"tags":[1520,1719,1968,2022,2676],"class_list":["post-11359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-food-and-drink","tag-food","tag-japanese-cuisine","tag-onigiri","tag-rice","tag-mark-fujishige"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11359"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11359\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11401,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11359\/revisions\/11401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}