Gazing up at us with his trademark big eyes, holding a mini rice ball in both hands, is Kerokerokeroppi! The fresh green of his face, hands, and feet comes from freshly sprouted Japanese mugwort (yomogi). Struck by how vivid and beautiful the color was, Mami-okusama wondered, “Could I create a character using this color?” The nostalgic and beloved Kerokerokeroppi was the character that came to mind. “I wanted to create a bento that makes anyone smile the moment the lid is opened—one that fills people with happiness—so I put this arrangement together,” Mami-okusama said. And just as she had intended, I broke into an instant smile when I saw the bento ✨ Surrounded by flower-shaped carrots, rapeseed blossoms, and the recipe Mami-okusama has shared with us, Keroppi looks as though he’s enjoying a picnic in a field of blooming flowers! I was told the children were absolutely delighted when they opened their bentos, exclaiming, “So cute!”, and that they were met with enthusiastic cheers from their teachers and friends. Someone in the class also said, “The rice ball Keroppi is holding is so cute ❤,” making this truly a bento that brings happiness, just as Mami-okusama had envisioned. This bento, fragrant with Japanese mugwort, a seasonal spring delicacy, is filled with the essence of the season and the bounty of nature. Why don’t we head out to pick some Japanese mugwort ourselves? 【Bento contents received from Mami-okusama】＊ 30 percent polished rice cooked in a clay pot (200g) 🍚·KerokerokeroppiYoung Japanese mugwort, freshly sprouted this year, were finely chopped, ground into a paste in a mortar, and mixed into the rice. His outfit is made from aonori rice—rice generously mixed with dried green seaweed—giving off a gentle, ocean-like aromaThe rice was formed into round shapes for the eyes, and nori was used to create a smiling expression. The mouth was also made of nori, forming a gentle smile. The cheeks are decorated with homemade pickled red ginger. In his hands, he holds a delicious-looking rice ball. ※ 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.” ·Triangular flower rice ballsTwo were placed on the left side.They were topped with flowers made from salt-boiled carrots and pickled daikon radish, giving them the gentle appearance of flowers softly blooming in spring. ＊ Miso soupIn addition to seasonal vegetables, I always include seaweed as well. ＊Crispy grilled burdock root and hijikiPreviously shared with everyone on Instagram. ＊ Rapeseed blossoms dressed with seasoned noriA dish made from one of spring’s blessings. ＊ Flower-shaped pickled daikon radishGarnished with freshly toasted black sesame seeds. ＊ OtherYellow rapeseed blossoms were added, bringing a gentle touch of spring. Now is the time to savor fresh young Japanese mugwort! Mami-okusama’s super cute vegan bento, no. 36 ／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 World Church of Messiah’s Representative of Kyoshu, Masaaki-sama (Masaaki Okada). She is a vegan recipe developer focusing on in 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. 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.”