Japan's TAKARA TOMY company's toy brand T-ARTS is set to release a very cute set of anthropomorphic food gashapon this June: the "Onigiri Imps" (tentative translation, オニぎり)! The suggested retail price is 300 Japanese Yen per capsule, with a total of five styles to collect.
This product is believed to be a combination of the Japanese words "oni" (demon/ogre) and "onigiri" (rice ball). These incredibly playful anthropomorphic rice balls are crafted in sizes ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 cm~ Not only do they feature faces and the "oni's" symbolic horns, but the various fillings of the rice ball also become hair-like elements, and the clothes worn by the oni transform into the egg wrap covering the rice ball~ it's a perfect match. According to T-ARTS' description, the rice grains of the onigiri are made with semi-transparent material to best represent a texture close to real rice, while some fillings are crafted with transparent materials; the translucent effect of the salmon roe looks quite good!
This time, the five styles of "Onigiri Imps" include Ume (plum), Mentaiko (spicy pollock roe), Ikura (salmon roe), Shio Musubi (salted rice ball), and the most distinctively colored Konbu (kelp). They are truly super cute! They feel like those adorable little imps that would cause mischief in your stomach. Take them out to eat with you and capture some fun photos~!
Onigiri
Suggested Retail Price: ¥300 / capsule, Product Specifications: Approximately 3.5〜4.5 cm, Total of five styles, Estimated Release Date: June 2025
Source: TAKARA TOMY A.R.T.S