25mStudio Ghibli
Satsuki's Totoro Bento (Hinomaru Lunch Box)
Bento & Rice Dishes · Easy
Spirited Away Onigiri (Spicy Tuna)
- Prep
- 15m
- Cook
- 20m
- Total
- 35m
- Serves
- 3
- Difficulty
- Easy
Chihiro's onigiri in Spirited Away is plain white rice — no filling, no nori — and yet it is one of the most emotional food scenes in anime. Haku's quiet kindness breaks through her fear, and a simple rice ball becomes everything. This recipe honors that comfort with a modern bento-friendly twist: spicy tuna-mayo centers wrapped in warm short-grain rice.
The technique uses plastic wrap instead of bare hands — scoop rice, add filling, cover with more rice, then twist the wrap to shape a tight triangle. Kewpie mayonnaise, sriracha, sesame oil, and a touch of soy sauce make a filling that stays juicy without soaking through the grains.
Plan about 15 minutes of prep plus 20 for rice. Two cups uncooked koshihikari yields six full-size onigiri (about 80–100 g of rice each) — enough for three people with two per serving, or a generous snack tray. The film version is plain; this is a fan interpretation labeled honestly in the FAQ below.
Ingredients
Recipe ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked
- Canned TunaKey2 pouches (≈5 oz / 140 g total)
well drained
- 2 tbsp
- Japanese Dark Soy Sauce (Koikuchi)1 tsp
or kosher salt to taste
Pantry staples
Salt, oil, butter, and other basics you likely already have — scaled with servings above.
- Water · for 2 cups rice — not 1:2; short-grain needs ~1:1–1.12 to 2.2 cups (rice cooker) or 2.4 cups (stovetop)
- Sriracha or hot sauce · or other hot sauce1 tbsp
- Sesame oil1 tsp
- Rice vinegar · before servingoptional drizzle
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Instructions
- 1
Rinse the rice
Rinse 2 cups koshihikari rice under cold water, swishing gently, until the water runs mostly clear — about 3–5 changes.
- 2
Cook the rice
Rice cooker: combine rinsed rice with 2 to 2.2 cups water and run the white rice cycle. Stovetop: use 2.4 cups water (1 cup rice : 1.2 cups water), bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low, and cook 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Turn off heat and rest covered 10 minutes. The grains should be tender and sticky, not soupy.
- 3
Cool the rice slightly
Fluff the rice with a paddle and spread on a tray or leave in the pot with the lid ajar for 5–10 minutes. It should be warm and sticky, not steaming hot, before you shape.
- 4
Mix the spicy tuna filling
In a bowl, combine 2 drained canned tuna pouches, 2 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise, 1 tbsp sriracha, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tsp Japanese dark soy sauce. Taste and adjust heat or salt.
- 5
Set up plastic wrap
Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on your work surface. Scoop a portion of warm rice onto the center and flatten into a rough triangle with lightly damp fingers.
- 6
Fill and seal
Spoon a generous amount of spicy tuna filling onto the rice triangle. Add more rice on top to cover the filling completely. Gather the plastic wrap and twist gently to mold a compact triangle — repeat until rice and filling are used up (6 onigiri, about 80–100 g of rice each).
- 7
Chill to set
Refrigerate the shaped onigiri 10–15 minutes so they firm up before packing in a bento or serving.
- 8
Serve
Optional: drizzle a little rice vinegar over each onigiri right before serving for extra brightness. Eat at room temperature for the best texture.
Pro tips
Drain canned tuna thoroughly — wet filling makes rice fall apart. Cook rice slightly firm so it holds shape when warm. If the rice sticks to the wrap, lightly dampen the plastic. Chill shaped onigiri 10–15 minutes before packing so they set; bring to room temperature before eating for the best texture.
Storage & leftovers
Best within 4 hours at room temperature in a bento. Refrigerate up to 1 day wrapped individually in plastic. Rice firms up when cold — rest 15 minutes at room temp before eating. Do not freeze filled onigiri — the texture turns grainy.
What to serve with
Miso soup, pickled cucumber, and green tea — a light set meal that keeps the focus on the rice balls. Optional rice vinegar drizzle adds brightness right before serving.
Equipment
All kitchen equipment guidesFAQ
The film shows plain white triangular onigiri with no filling. This spicy tuna version is a modern bento-style interpretation inspired by the scene's emotional comfort — not a frame-perfect replica.
