Flowers over dumplings? No, this bento lets you enjoy both! The tri-color dumpling bear and the colors of spring catch your eye the moment you open the bento box. Rice balls mixed with freshly sprouted Japanese mugwort (yomogi), sautéed horsetail shoots in soy sauce (shared on Instagram on February 19 last year), rapeseed blossoms from Mami-okusama’s parents’ home, and plum-vinegar daikon radish cut into cherry blossom shapes. This bento is truly bursting with spring 🌸 The shimi daikon (freeze-dried daikon radish), an offering from a member, also appeared in the recent “Mami-okusama’s Totoro bento,” and this time it’s back as an adorable, heartwarming little bear! The children’s eyes lit up with delight as they said, “It was so delicious!” and “It was so cute!” Mami-okusama puts into practice the salvation of Christian veganism, revealed by Masaaki-sama, even in the bentos she makes each day. By taking inspiration from the bento contents Mami-okusama has shared with us, let us strive to spread the true vegan diet for the people of Japan! 【Bento contents received from Mami-okusama】＊ 30 percent polished rice cooked in a clay pot (250g) 🍚I shaped the rice into bear-shaped rice balls to resemble tri-color dumplings. The remaining rice is arranged around them, garnished with plum-vinegar daikon radish cut into cherry blossom shapes.By adjusting the marinating time, I alternated between deeper and lighter shades to create a soft, spring-like palette. ～ Bear-shaped tri-color dumpling rice balls ～· Red: Made with a paste of homemade pickled plums matured for three years.· White: Decorated with nori seaweed to create the eyes, nose, and mouth, and the cheeks are adorned with plum-vinegar daikon radish shaped into cherry blossom petals.· Green: Mixed with freshly sprouted Japanese mugwort, finely chopped and ground into a paste with a mortar and pestle. The fragrance of spring spreads softly with every bite. ※ 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. ＊ Simmered shimi daikon bearThe shimi daikon was an offering by a member of the Church.Having endured the harsh winter, this remarkable ingredient is created through the power of nature itself. This time, I simmered it to make a bear. The facial features are made from nori seaweed and rice, and the cheeks are adorned with plum-vinegar daikon radish shaped into cherry blossom petals. ＊ Sautéed horsetail shoots in soy sauceA family favorite!Horsetail shoots, a spring delicacy available only for a brief season, are sautéed to a savory finish with salt and soy sauce. Freshly toasted and ground sesame seeds are added at the end for fragrance. ＊ Simmered flower-shaped carrotsA comforting dish with a gentle, soothing flavor. ＊ Salt-boiled rapeseed blossomsAdded with the image of a forest scene in mind.Their soft green color brings the breath of spring into the bento. ＊ OtherThe yellow of the rapeseed blossoms adds a touch of color, like spring sunlight. Let’s enjoy the bounty of spring 🎵 Mami-okusama’s super cute vegan bento, no. 38Likes, 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.”