Updated October 2021
At Bento&co, we learned about a wonderful worldwide campaign during the month of October called “Onigiri Action”!
Led by Table for Two, a Japanese non-profit organization that fights against food inequality, Onigiri Action is a social good campaign that provides school meals globally to children in need.
How does it work?
Every time someone takes a photo of something related to onigiri (Japanese rice ball) and posts it on social media with the hashtag #OnigiriAction five school meals are donated to children in need around the world.
Thanks to the companies sponsoring the campaign and global participation, in 2019 a whopping 1.6 million school meals were delivered!
More information can be found here! https://onigiri-action.com/en/
Interested in participating?
By November 5th, upload an “onigiri related” photo to FB, IG, or Twitter, with the hashtag #onigiriaction. (Just make sure that your privacy setting is set to public.)If you aren't on social media/have a private account, you can also submit your photo directly on the Onigiri Action website here: https://onigiri-action.com/en/post/
What kind of photos can I upload?
Your photo doesn’t JUST have to be of an actual onigiri!
Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing….
- You or your pet in an onigiri costume!
- Making an onigiri (triangle) sign with your hands
- Onigiri art
- Making/eating onigiri
- Posing with an onigiri
- Etc!
This year, for those based in the United States, there is a new category you can participate in, called the "State Onigiri Challenge"!
"What is “State Onigiri”?
Any picture of a rice ball associated with a certain state in the United States can be posted as "State Onigiri". The state doesn't have to be the one you currently live in, but can be any state that is close to your heart!
Ex.1: Make onigiri with special ingredients famous from your state (i.e. NY bagel onigiri, Maine lobster onigiri)
Ex.2: Take a photo of onigiri at a state landmark (i.e. ballpark, state capitol)
Ex.3: Take a photo of onigiri with an iconic symbol from your state (include photo of onigiri with an SD Padres outfit or on a surfboard)
Post on Social Media: Post your photo on our Instagram page with hashtag #OnigiriAction + #StateOnigiri + #(Name of the state)
Post on the Website: Upload your photo to our campaign website. Select the category #5 (Best Onigiri Award) and include the name of the state in the comment section."
Inspiration from the #Bentoandco community
Here’s some inspiration from the #Bentoandco community members who’ve submitted amazing #onigiriaction photos
A stunning, autumn-themed onigiri bento by @ fuuumiiii1221 (IG)
www.instagram.com/p/CGQ8hQ-AZMO
Adorable smiling onigiri bento by @ tarohe.tanishi (IG)
www.instagram.com/p/CGHI8QYgaQz
Like we said though, your picture doesn’t have to be of an actual onigiri. For example, here is a cheeky photo from our team featuring our very own Norio and Kome onigiri boxes. 
We hope you’ll join us in this creative campaign that’s for a great cause, and have a lot of fun with onigiri—Japan’s ultimate comfort food.
Unsure how to make onigiri? Here is our guide.
We also have these nifty onigiri molds that make onigiri making super easy
Onigiri Push Sankaku
Onigiri Push Kawaii