Joy (@joy.onigiri), a housewife raising three children, posted a “rice ball with the name of the ingredients” that combines art with practical benefits. For the past 10 years, he has created seaweed art with designs of cartoon characters, celebrities, and animals, including “onigiri art” for her husband’s lunch box. A master who loves rice balls. He seems to be particularly careful about the order in which he eats the ingredients, and although he checks the contents every morning, after returning home he reports, “I made a mistake again!” “Onigiri with the name of the ingredient” was invented for such a husband. I told Joey about it.
■ “What are the ingredients for today’s rice dumpling?”
――When did you start making rice balls?
[Joy]I started about 10 years ago. I made this as a lunch box for my husband who loves rice balls. It would be nice if you could take a break from your work. Afterwards, I didn’t have time to do it because of childbirth and childcare, but recently my youngest is 2 years old, and it’s a little easier to do, so I started again. Even now, it’s basically my husband’s lunchbox, and I usually bring 2 or 3. When I make a lot, it’s also a breakfast for the kids.
――The idea of ”onigiri art with the name of ingredients” is wonderful, isn’t it? Even on SNS, the reaction is “awesome!”
[Joy]Thanks (laughs). Every morning, my husband would ask me, “What are the toppings for today’s rice ball?”. But in the end, he came home saying, “I don’t know which is which.”
— A practical and reliable solution!
[Joi]But I’m also sloppy, so I make a lot of mistakes. My husband seems to have an order where he wants to eat the ingredients for the rice ball, and he complains if he makes a mistake (laughs). By the way, it looks like the last ingredient should be tightened with takuan.
――Even if you took countermeasures, it was not certain (laughs). Joy-san’s onigiri art has variations such as celebrities and characters other than “with the name of the ingredients”…
[Joie]The subject is something that is generally interesting to see, something that can be reproduced. I record it on my smartphone and do it while watching it.
――Matsuko Deluxe and Hiroyuki Ariyoshi’s rice ball art was also “just like” and “great”. Please teach me how to make basic rice ball art.
[Joi]If the rice ball is hot, the seaweed will shrink, so let it cool, cut the seaweed with small scissors and stick it on the rice ball with tweezers. The color is mixed with furikake, sesame, sauce, ketchup and mayonnaise. I think it takes 2-30 minutes.
■ “When the children grow up, I want them to remember and laugh.”
――What motivates you to keep making onigiri art on busy mornings?
[Joi]Because I’m completely having fun (laughs). Then I think I do it because my family will be happy. I do this by imagining “what kind of face are they going to eat?” I’m grateful that even if I do weird things, they’ll eat them without complaining.
――The reaction of the family is the motivation of the creator.
[Joy]When I started, my husband only ate at work, so I didn’t know what kind of reaction he would have. Now I’m glad my three kids are flocking to the rice balls and reacting wildly.
My husband has always specialized in food (laughs). There’s someone in the business who watches more than my husband, so I’m creating characters at that person’s request.
――So your husband specializes in food? (laughs)
[Joi]Ah, but there’s something I’ve been told before that I always pay attention to! I love bugs, so I once made a butterfly algae rice ball, but was told, “Don’t eat bugs, because you won’t have an appetite…”. Then, I try not to make only insects.
――There is an inverse relationship between pleasure and “appetizing”, so “there is culinary art”. Finally, tell us about your future prospects.
[Joy]I still want to do various things. Animals, characters, plants, patterns, letters, buildings, vehicles, insects… I’m going to stop (laughs). When the kids grow up, I’d be happy if they remembered, “My mom used to make weird rice balls all the time” and smiled.
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