Totoro Onigiri from My Neighbor Totoro
Rice balls shaped like the gentle forest spirit Totoro, with a tuna filling — a cartoon-style Japanese lunch box.
In My Neighbor Totoro, Satsuki and Mei eat homemade bento and onigiri in the fields — simple, warming food. We shaped the onigiri like Totoro himself, with nori details and a tuna filling. An easy, fun snack that Ghibli fans of all ages will love.
🧺 Ingredients
🍽 6 servings👩🍳 Method
- 1
The rice
Cook the rice as instructed. Mix vinegar, sugar and salt, heat to dissolve. Season the hot rice with the vinegar mixture and fold gently with a spatula. Cool to room temperature.
- 2
The filling
Drain the tuna, flake with a fork and mix with mayonnaise and soy sauce.
- 3
Shaping
Wet your hands with water and lightly salt your palms. Take a handful of rice (about 80 g), flatten it, place a spoonful of filling in the center and close with more rice, shaping into a triangle. Add a pointed top — these are Totoro's ears.
- 4
Totoro details
Cut small circles for eyes, short dashes for whiskers and striped patches for the belly from nori. Press them gently onto the rice.
- 5
Serving
Serve immediately or wrap each onigiri in film — they keep for up to 6 hours at room temperature.
💡 Tips
- 💡
The rice must be warm — cold rice won't stick. Don't press too hard: shape gently rather than squeezing.
- 💡
Nori sticks best to slightly damp rice — no need to wet your tools.
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