ジェーン・スー 生活は踊る · Society & Culture
リスナー情報コーナー(月) 集まれ！全国アレコレ物産展：『ご当地の”おにぎり”特集』
The studio of Jane Su: Seikatsu wa Odoru (ジェーン・スー 生活は踊る) sampled "kezurikamaboko onigiri" — a tawara-shaped rice ball completely wrapped in paper-thin shavings of dried fish cake — a local specialty from Yawatahama City, Ehime Prefecture. The extraordinary appearance sent hosts into a frenzy of comparisons ranging from "a Pokémon we've never seen" to "a long-haired guinea pig," while the taste earned unanimous praise as "a dreamlike food." The product traces back to 1903, making it a local staple with over 120 years of history, and is available through Hossui Kamaboko Co., Ltd.'s online shop.
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What this episode answers
What is a kezurikamaboko onigiri?
It is a local onigiri from Yawatahama City, Ehime Prefecture, in which a tawara-shaped rice ball is completely covered in kezurikamaboko — kamaboko that has been dried and shaved so thin it becomes nearly translucent — and comes in pink (red) and white varieties that have long been a staple in local bento boxes for school trips and sports days.
How did the hosts describe the appearance of the kezurikamaboko onigiri?
The hosts described it as "a rare Pokémon we've never seen before," "a giant squid shumai," and "a long-haired guinea pig" — the ruffled, feathery kamaboko shavings draping loosely over the entire rice ball left everyone in the studio speechless.
What was the studio's reaction after tasting it?
Sue (スー) raved that it was "fluffy yet perfectly salty," "smells like the ocean," and "feels like eating salted dried squid as a snack with rice — it's a dreamlike food," with everyone in the studio including Producer Karia (カリア) and Mizukun (みずくん) marveling at a texture they had never encountered before.
When and by whom was kezurikamaboko invented?
The origin dates to 1903, over 120 years ago, when the founder of what is now Hossui Kamaboko Co., Ltd. (発水かまぼこ株式会社) developed the method of drying kamaboko and shaving it into translucent strips.
Where can you buy kezurikamaboko and how much does it cost?
Both the red and white varieties are available through Hossui Kamaboko Co., Ltd.'s online shop, each 30g for 429 yen (tax included); searching "kezurikamaboko onigiri" also brings up recipes for making the dish at home.
This Week's Local Onigiri Comes from Yawatahama, Ehime
The Monday segment "Atsmare! Zenkoku Arekore Bussan-ten" (集まれ！全国あれこれ物産展) opened its local-onigiri edition with a letter from a listener going by the radio name Ugokanai Hodō (動かない歩道), a resident of Chuo Ward, Tokyo originally from Yawatahama City, Ehime Prefecture. The food in question: kezurikamaboko onigiri (削りかまぼこおにぎり).
Yawatahama is nationally renowned as a kamaboko production hub. Kezurikamaboko is made by first drying the fish cake, then shaving it into strips so thin they become practically translucent. The resulting pink and white frills are packed with the concentrated umami of the fish cake. Ugokanai Hodō recalled that growing up, no school-trip or sports-day bento was ever complete without it — a memory shared by many locals in the area.
"A Pokémon We've Never Seen Before" — The Studio Goes Wild
The moment the kezurikamaboko onigiri arrived in the studio, host Sue (スー) and company erupted in a cascade of comparisons. "It's like a rare Pokémon we've never encountered." "A giant squid shumai." "A long-haired guinea pig." The reason: the feathery kamaboko shavings completely envelop the tawara-shaped rice ball, giving it the uncanny look of a small, furry creature sporting an elaborate, flowing coat. For the tasting, two varieties were prepared — the red (pink) and white versions from Hossui Kamaboko Co., Ltd. (発水かまぼこ株式会社) — served side by side as a festive kohaku pair.
Tasting Report — "A Dreamlike Food"
Sue's first reaction was to the aroma: "There's this gentle waft of the sea coming off it." A bite in, and the verdict was rapturous. "It's fluffy, yet the saltiness is just right." "You get this real flavor of fish — it feels like eating salted dried squid as a snack alongside rice. It's a dreamlike food." Because the kamaboko is dried before being shaved, the texture is closer to sakiika (salted dried squid) than to the springy, smooth fish cake most people know. Producer Karia (カリアプロデューサー) and Mizukun (みずくん) joined the chorus of amazement: nobody in the studio had ever tasted anything quite like it.
Both the red and white versions were equally well received. As declarations of "it's incredibly good even as a plain onigiri" filled the room, one person floated the idea of adding kezurikamaboko to chirashi-zushi — and the studio immediately erupted in agreement. Apparently it is already a common chirashi-zushi ingredient in Ehime, a fact that sparked another round of delight: "We've been missing out. That has to be delicious." Sue closed the segment on a reflective note: "Japan really is vast," before summing it up as "a clean hit right from the very first entry."
A Local Flavor with Over 100 Years of History
Kezurikamaboko is no recent trend. The technique of drying kamaboko and shaving it paper-thin was pioneered in 1903 — more than 120 years ago — by the founder of what is now Hossui Kamaboko Co., Ltd. Since then it has been woven into the everyday food culture of the Nanyo region of southern Ehime Prefecture, appearing on family dinner tables and in bento boxes alike. For Ugokanai Hodō, it is inseparable from childhood memories of outdoor school events, and for the Yawatahama community at large it remains a defining taste of home.
Where to Buy
Both the red and white kezurikamaboko are available through Hossui Kamaboko Co., Ltd.'s online shop. Each bag is 30g and costs 429 yen (tax included). Searching for "kezurikamaboko onigiri" online also turns up recipes showing how to assemble the dish at home.
Takeaways
- Kezurikamaboko onigiri — a tawara rice ball completely covered in nearly translucent dried fish-cake shavings — is a local specialty from Yawatahama City, Ehime Prefecture, with over 120 years of history dating back to 1903.
- The texture, close to that of salted dried squid, and the strong umami and salty flavor won unanimous praise in the studio as "a dreamlike food" that pairs perfectly with rice.
- Both the red and white varieties are available through Hossui Kamaboko Co., Ltd.'s online shop at 429 yen (tax included) per 30g bag.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.