Yumiko Ukon

Yumiko Ukon “Sacred Keeper of Onigiri” 右近由美子 (6.23.1952- current) the Niigata-ken onigiri master who was born in Niigata Prefecture in Niigata City is the proprietress of the rice ball shop "Onigiri Bongo" おにぎりぼんご. She is an Onigiri Ambassador of the Onigiri Association and is known to make a place so important to onigiri lovers that there is a sacred pilgrimage of onigiri in Tokyo’s area of Otsuka. She has had international acclaim and helped create a demand for even better options of Onigiri Specialty Stores. In the mind of many who visit the store see it as a sacred training spot where they can be apprentices to get the training and mastery needed to open their own onigiri shops. 

​

This has led more people to prefer rice with the variations and specialties that people have been making with some even choosing rice over bread. In has people from all over the country trying rice again using Tokyo variations as the generic menu options, and onigiri bongo as the otsuka specific options, and what ingredients are found in Niigata for the home prefecture of the onigiri master. This is thanks to her always using koshi hikari top grade rice and that has brought additional interest in Niigata as a place people seek out Onigiri Specialty Shops with huge varieties of fillings.

​

Yumiko has had high-standards for her fluffy high quality rice and preparation that feels like casual food that is delicious with a hint of expertise that is told in the flavor and not by any group of descriptive words. She has different training periods for different people based on the previous knowledge they display through the tasks in the kitchen. She pays attention to their individual skills on their journey to become onigiri chefs. Many of the techniques for making rice balls differ depending on the rice, so her techniques are specific to Niigata Koshihikari rice and pioneers a method of connecting people with food and happiness with listening to what people in an area find delicious. Her status in the world of onigiri is legendary.

She has placed the prefecture on the map with talking about the ingredients and customers being the most important way of making a menu. The online community would be interested from “Mogumogu” YouTube channel, and then media would come from Japan, and then the World would come to see why a “Onigiri Boom” was happening in Japan. A Onigiri Revolution would be happening as people would start seeing that a improved Onigiri menu can be standardized to 60 dishes.

​

Uonuma feast rice ball Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/p/%E9%AD%9A%E6%B2%BC%E3%81%94%E3%81%A1%E3%81%9D%E3%81%86%E3%81%8A%E3%81%AB%E3%81%8E%E3%82%8A-100083012156552/?paipv=0&eav=AfYW-loj_EQqcVDEtDYyMYWMtqPlm19b72ZYaqUPf7_AMCwUi-qTsXbbS5zJnQPEkT0&_rdr

White Brown and Germ Rice https://umamimart.com/blogs/main/japanify-white-brown-and-germ-rice
Women Chintai https://woman.chintai/article/odekake/1389_onigiribongo/2/

Onigiri Summary https://niigata-kankou.or.jp/blog/394 
Onigiri Summary 2 https://niigata-kankou.or.jp/blog/1033 
Minamiuonuma Onigiri https://niigata-kankou.or.jp/blog/1034