Meet your Onigiri Lady

Hi, I'm Aya, your onigiri lady!
In 2021, I moved from Japan to Des Moines—my husband’s hometown. Back home, I was an esthetician. To continue my career here, I headed straight back to school. That’s when I missed it most: the simple comfort of a Japanese bento. More specifically, the onigiri.

Des Moines has plenty of sushi, but no onigiri. To the world, sushi represents Japan. But to us, onigiri is our true daily soul food. In Japan, grabbing an onigiri is just like an American grab-and-go slice of pizza or hot dog at a gas station. It’s what we grew up on. For me, it’s also deeply personal—my grandfather used to handcraft warm onigiri for my childhood snacks.

I wanted to share that real piece of Japan with Des Moines. My onigiri are always loved, simply because each one is crafted gently, perfectly, and by hand—just like my grandfather did. Today, between working as an esthetician and raising my 3-year-old, I make them in my licensed HFPE home kitchen fresh just for you. I hope you enjoy every bite and keep coming back for more.

Pure, honest comfort food.