With the new school term underway, Mami-okusama has shared with us the vegan deco bento she prepared for Mei-sama’s first day of school. Our heartfelt congratulations to Mei-sama on advancing to the next grade! This bento filled with lucky four-leaf clovers beautifully conveys Mami-okusama’s loving support for Mei-sama as she begins a new school year.Mami-okusama shared, “I wanted to create a bento that would make her heart leap with joy through both the appearance and flavor.” The two bento boxes, decorated with four-leaf clovers made from rice, carrots, and Japanese mugwort (yomogi) paste, are filled with Mami-okusama’s deep affection. We hear that Mei-sama enjoyed this bento featuring a hearty serving of three kinds of seasoned rice, and was absolutely delighted by the adorable bear and the variety of flavors. Packed with an abundance of seasonal vegetables and seaweed, this bento offers a variety of flavors, aromas, and textures. It is likely that Mei-sama enjoyed every last bite without growing tired of it. The salvation of Christian veganism, as proclaimed by Masaaki-sama—"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”—is something Mami-okusama puts into practice and promotes through her recipes and bentos. Let us follow her example and share this message with as many people as possible. 【Bento contents received from Mami-okusama】＊30 percent polished rice cooked in a clay pot (250g) 🍚· BearA bear-shaped rice ball lightly colored with homemade mentsuyu (noodle sauce).Its eyes and nose were made from nori and rice, its cheeks were decorated with pickled plums matured for three years, and its ears were topped with takuan (pickled daikon).In its hands is a four-leaf clover made from Japanese mugwort.(Fresh mugwort shoots were blanched to remove bitterness, then finely chopped and ground into a paste using a mortar.)I aimed to create a warm, gentle bear that brings happiness just by looking at it. ※Japanese mugwort 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.” · Two heart-shaped rice ballsWakame and sesame.Aonori (green seaweed flakes) and sesame.Small heart-shaped rice balls, each with its own softly wafting aroma.In the bento box on the right, four are arranged together to resemble a four-leaf clover. ＊ Miso soupIn addition to seasonal vegetables, I always include seaweed as well. ＊Colorful tsukune (Japanese-style savory patty)Made with wood ear mushrooms, carrot, and aosa seaweed.Soft and fluffy, with a gentle savory aroma. Made with a blend of all-purpose flour and brown rice flour. ✦ Simmered kiriboshi daikon (dried daikon radish)Kiriboshi daikon and carrot slowly simmered in a clay pot.A gently seasoned dish with flavors slowly infused into the daikon and carrot, bringing a sense of comfort.Finished with a sprinkle of freshly toasted sesame. ＊Other detailsA four-leaf clover, a butterfly, and flowers were made from salt-boiled carrots. Yellow rapeseed blossoms were also added. Packed with lucky four-leaf clovers! 🍀 Mami-okusama’s super cute vegan bento, no. 41Likes, 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.”