When growing up, our parents always told us not to play with our food. But then the world invented rice balls and made a type of food that looks like it was specifically made to play with. Where most mortals have resisted the urge to acknowledge this, artist Onigire Gekijo (and yes, there is an Instagram page) not only acknowledged it – he took it to the next level.
While most of the rice ball figures are animals loaded with absolute levels of cuteness, there are some creations that dabble into popular characters and even memes. You’d almost feel bad eating any of these, since it looks like there was a lot of work put into them. If you want to know how much work exactly, Onigire actually started out by putting videos of the whole process on YouTube. Like all other things on the internet, that means they’re forever.
I’m especially in awe of the precision work that goes into these creations. The cats look amazingly shaped, but even the colors are well-thought-out. Onigire only started out a few years back when there was a local rice ball contest. She applied for it – probably won – and instantly fell in love with the world of rice ball art. And at this point, haven’t we all?
I wonder if most of these are actually edible and what happens to the failed creations. This is a process that takes a lot of trial and error, so I’m assuming a lot of misshapen rice ball cats have ended up being eaten prematurely. It’s hard to deny that this is in fact a form of art, however. The positive messages give Onigire the motivation to keep going, so be sure to give her some kind words, so we can see more of this somewhat odd art form in the future.
