Three cheerful little dogs 🐶A big heart right in the center 💛It carries a profound, steady presence, as if it were the very heartbeat of life itself!And from the letters “Mei” on the heart, the eldest daughter of Masaaki-sama and Mami-okusama, one can feel an abundance of deep, overflowing love‼ According to Mami-okusama, the idea for the lettering came from Masaaki-sama, who suggested, “Why not try creating the children’s names using Japanese mugwort (yomogi)?” So she used it to form the letters “Mei” ✨Mei-sama said, “It’s cute, very delicious, and I love it!” Just looking at it warms your heart—the Mei-sama puppy bento 🐾Catching a glimpse of the love overflowing in Masaaki-sama’s family, a gentle, joyful breeze, like spring itself, has drifted into our hearts as well 🌸 【Bento contents received from Mami-okusama】＊ 30 percent polished rice cooked in a clay pot (200g) 🍚· Three puppiesThree kinds of freshly toasted sesame seeds (golden, black, and white) were used to create the puppies’ adorable little ears.Small flower decorations made from salt-boiled carrots were also added.The eyes, nose, and mouth are shaped from nori, giving each puppy a gentle expression. Homemade pickled red ginger is placed on their cheeks, completing these adorable puppies. · Heart-shaped rice ballFresh young Japanese mugwort, newly sprouted this year, was finely chopped and ground into a paste using a mortar, then shaped into the letters “Mei.” Salt-boiled carrots were added as decoration to finish. ※ Wild plants must always be blanched to remove bitterness before use. For details, please refer to the bitterness-removal process described in the April 19 post from last year, “Japan’s vegan beauty – Mami-okusama – No. 10: Vegan yomogi onsen manju,” and the April 25 post, “Japan’s vegan beauty – Mami-okusama – No. 11: Hand-picked yomogi hoto.” ＊ Miso soupIn addition to seasonal vegetables, I always include seaweed as well. ＊ Vegan takoyakiPreviously shared on Instagram. ＊ Komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) with noriMade using komatsuna received from a member of the Church.Prepared with heartfelt gratitude to the member for their offering. ＊ Roses 🌹Small roses were crafted from homemade pickled red ginger.They add a gentle touch of color, as if delicate roses have quietly bloomed within the bento. Mugwort lettering in the color of spring🌿Mami-okusama’s super cute vegan bento, Vol. 39Likes, saves, and shares are most welcome ✨ ***About Mami-okusama (Mami Okada)Mami-okusama was born in Aichi Prefecture and was raised in a farming household. Also known as Japan’s Vegan Beauty, she is the wife of and Aide to Masaaki-sama (Masaaki Okada), World Church of Messiah’s Representative of Kyoshu. She is a vegan recipe developer focusing on the Japanese vegan diet. She is the first to establish the “vegan deco ben” (vegan decorative bento) and “vegan kyara ben” (vegan character bento) genres. Not only are they beautiful to the eye, these bento are created entirely from plant-based ingredients, in line with what Masaaki-sama teaches on the truth of food, that seasonal and local eating rooted in the climate and terrain of Japan is the most beneficial for health and well-being, that is, to eat what grows in one’s local region. Through these and also through the creation of her many original recipes, she seeks to spread the Christian vegan diet—the true healthy diet. She graduated from University of Tsukuba. During her studies there, she became actively involved in volunteer activities such as refugee support. She was also repeatedly asked to participate in the Miss Tsukuba Contest and was approached by many modeling agencies, but she declined all of these offers as she wanted to focus on refugee support activities. In recognition of her efforts in refugee support, she received the University of Tsukuba President’s Award in 2012. She holds a license to teach English to intermediate and high school students. After graduating from university, she began working for World Church of Messiah in 2013. In 2014, she married Masaaki-sama, the great-grandson of the founder of World Church of Messiah, Meishu-sama (Mokichi Okada 1882–1955), and the representative and successor of Kyoshu-sama. On May 24, 2026, on the day of Pentecost, she assumed the position of Aide to the Representative of Kyoshu. Currently, while raising three children, she is working tirelessly unlike anyone else in the practice and spread of the Christian vegan diet as taught in Masaaki-sama’s revolutionary message: “Jesus Christ was the last and ultimate sacrifice—so it is no longer necessary to eat a diet that comes with the suffering of animals.”