Onigiri is a Japanese soul food that satisfies both the stomach and the heart, whether it is for a regular meal or when you go out, anywhere and in any situation. It has been familiar as a daily food throughout its long history along with the development of rice, and is still familiar to many people, from children to adults.

Onigiri is a simple food that is being rediscovered as a healthy food. Did you know that there is a restaurant in Sapporo where you can easily enjoy this delicious, comforting treat made by hand?

The name of the shop is "Onigiri no Arinko." We visited the "Aurora Town Store" in the Sapporo Underground Mall, located about a six-minute walk from the hotel, to find out why the shop is so beloved.

A small shop that satisfies the appetites of many

Onigiri no Arinko is a rice ball specialty store that has expanded to several locations in Sapporo and outside Hokkaido since opening its first store in 1980. It all began when the company's president, Nanbu, met the owner of an onigiri shop that was thinking of closing down.

Later, they took over the store and started a new onigiri shop called "Onigiri no Arinko" with Mr. Nanbu, his wife, and his mother-in-law. The name of the shop comes from the appearance of the ant busily running around the small 10m2 shop like an ant.

Customers visit Arinko from morning to night, including those who stop by before work or between work breaks, and those who just want to satisfy their hunger. Some customers look troubled as they choose their menu, while others seem used to ordering and silently munch on the food inside the store.

Thanks to its convenience as a fast food restaurant, it has been satisfying the appetites of many people, from locals to tourists, for over 40 years.

"When I came here for work experience as a student, I was impressed by the personalities of the staff and the way they enjoyed chatting with regular customers while serving customers," says Chinatsu Sakamoto, manager of the Aurora Town store, about how she joined the company.

"In order to attract many customers and ensure the store runs smoothly, the staff exchange a lot of words with each other. Words of gratitude are particularly common," he told us about what they do to ensure that each member has a role to play and works well together in this small store.

"Always freshly made" authentic onigiri

Arinko values detailed communication and their onigiri are made by hand, one by one, without using molds. They make the onigiri immediately after receiving an order, so you can enjoy the delicious taste of "freshly made" at any time.

The rice used is "Hitomebore" from Miyagi Prefecture, which is perfect for onigiri. It has a good balance of stickiness, luster, flavor, and aroma, and its refreshing taste enhances the texture and deliciousness of the ingredients.

After receiving an order, the chef prepares the rice with smooth, flawless hands, and the beauty of his movements is so captivating that you can't help but stare at him.

"At Arinko, we have one to two months of training to make onigiri. We practice over and over again until we can tell the amount of rice without measuring, and until we can make the perfect triangle shape but still fluffy."

The "Arinko" style is to make the sushi within six turns of the sushi roll. This commitment has been passed down since the restaurant first opened and is one of the secrets to its delicious sushi.

The unique taste of the ever-popular "Arinko"

Arinko offers a variety of toppings, from standard ingredients such as red salmon, plum, and tuna mayonnaise to eye-catching ones such as asparagus bacon and beef tongue, which are only available for a limited time or at certain stores. If you're not sure what to eat, start with the ever-popular "Cheese and Bonito."

In fact, this "Cheese Bonito" was developed after an idea occurred to him when he was looking at a pizza flyer and thought "this would go well with onigiri rice balls." According to Sakamoto, "The flavor would be dull if it was just cheese, so we added bonito flakes to tighten it up. The cheese melts into the hot rice and it's delicious."

This combination, which may seem novel at first glance, turned out to be the best-selling item. This episode shows that "you never know where the raw diamond of an idea is lying around."

Another ingredient that gives off a "Hokkaido-like" feeling is the crunchy "sujiko." Each and every grain is carefully torn apart by hand before being used as an ingredient. No effort is spared in order to ensure that the dish is delicious.

Furthermore, Sakamoto-san says, "It may be said that the most popular dish on the menu is the ton-jiru (pork soup with miso soup) with plenty of ingredients made with vegetables from Hokkaido. This is a taste that is unique to Arinko, and has been preserved without changing the recipe since the restaurant first opened.

When you're busy or want to take a break, you can eat freshly made, warm rice balls and soups made with carefully selected ingredients and the way they're rolled. Just that will relax your mind and make you feel at peace. You'll feel like your heart is filled, not just your stomach.

We want to bring smiles to people's faces through our consideration and dedication.

Sakamoto-san smiled as he spoke about their consideration for the restaurant, saying that the staff also remember the menu items ordered by frequent customers, and added, "We also value exchanges like, 'Is that the usual?' or 'Is the usual okay today too?'"

"I'm happy that customers choose Arinko's rice balls and come to our store, so I want to serve delicious food quickly and make them want to come back. I want to continue doing the basic things without neglecting them."

"We want our customers to enjoy the taste, skill, and attention to detail of Arinko, and to bring a smile to their faces." This is the thought behind these onigiri rice balls. Take a bite and it will surely be etched deep in your heart as a "warm memory" of your trip.

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おにぎりのありんこ（オーロラタウン店）
電話番号：011-222-0039 
住所：北海道札幌市中央区大通西２丁目 さっぽろ地下街オーロラタウン 
アクセス：地下鉄南北線・東西線・東豊線 大通駅 直結 
HP： http://onigiri-arinko.com/ 
SNS： https://www.instagram.com/onigiri_arinko/ 
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