Masaaki-sama’s Sacred Word From ancient times, it was well known that kudzu (kuzu) powder, which is also used in kakkonto (a traditional herbal remedy containing kudzu root and other medicinal plants), soothes the digestive system, warms the body and promotes harmony. And for this, I would like for us to use it regularly in cooking too. In our home, I occasionally make snacks using kudzu powder for our children. When the kudzu powder is heated, the white powder turns clear, and a mochi-like texture comes out. I believe that texture is the secret to its appeal. Being the winter, Mami has thought up this napa cabbage mochi using kuzdu powder that warms the body and napa cabbage that is in season. While it has a soft, mochi-like texture, it has a firm bite and it is enjoyable to eat. I have it with ponzu [a dipping sauce made with Japanese citrus and soy sauce] and rice cooked in a clay pot. It has a deliciousness that is gentle on the tongue, the stomach, the organs and also on the heart. By all means, everyone, give it a try in the cold winter. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ I can see the scene before me, full of warmth and love, of Masaaki-sama making kudzu sweets for his children. Masaaki-sama—he stands at the forefront of us Church members, and by example, shows us the salvation of the vegan diet. He called it “a deliciousness that is gentle also on the heart,” and he reached out to us members, telling us to give Mami-okusama’s recipe a try—napa cabbage mochi that heals not only the body but the heart. Masaaki-sama’s thoughtfulness is more than we deserve! While we fall far short of the dishes Mami-okusama cooks, still, there is no greater joy than being able to eat the same napa cabbage mochi as Masaaki-sama. The napa cabbage mochi arranged on a wooden plate; the beautifully browned surface; the colors from the cabbage—we are simply drawn in by its beauty. The wooden plate was presented to Masaaki-sama and Mami-okusama by President Cabuço and his wife during Masaaki-sama’s missionary visit to Angola last year. Mami-okusama shared with us that it is a precious plate where she feels the warmth of the Angolan Church members. Mami-okusama’s napa cabbage mochi—a recipe that uses napa cabbage and kudzu powder. It is simple yet has a mochi-like chewiness and is far too delicious. Masaaki-sama teaches us that “kudzu powder soothes the digestive system, warms the body and promotes harmony,” and Mami-okusama encourages us, “In the winter, let’s use kudzu powder regularly to warm the body.” Let us also make Mami-okusama’s napa cabbage mochi and savor this winter dish that is filled with Masaaki-sama and Mami-okusama’s love and that warms both heart and body! ✨ Ingredients 🥢• Napa cabbage … 300g• Kudzu powder … 100g• Water … 100g• Salt … as needed• Sesame oil … 1 teaspoon Dipping sauce:• Raw sesame seeds … as needed• Ponzu … as needed Instructions 👩🍳① Finely chop the napa cabbage, add a pinch of salt and mix throughout. Let sit for about 10 minutes until wilted.② Add kudzu powder and water, and mix everything together well to make the batter.③ Heat a frying pan (cast iron if available), add sesame oil, pour in the batter and shape into a round form.④ Cook until both sides develop a nice golden-brown color. ※ If needed, cook in 2–3 batches. Adjust the amount of sesame oil as necessary.⑤ Toast the raw sesame seeds, grind in a mortar, blend with ponzu, and enjoy by dipping the mochi. Can’t get enough of this chewiness!Likes, 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.”