*Hinamatsuri, celebrated on March 3, is a Japanese festival dedicated to girls, during which decorative dolls representing the imperial court are displayed. The tradition is believed to protect girls and ensure they grow up healthy and happy. How beautiful and charming! To celebrate Hinamatsuri on March 3, Mami-okusama prepared a Hinamatsuri bento for her children🌸 The lustrous layers of the princess’s kimono, the peach blossoms in full bloom, and the intricately designed bonbori lanterns—every carefully crafted detail comes together in perfect harmony, creating a dazzling world that leaves us breathless. The bento also features wild rocambole that Masaaki-sama picked along the riverbank together with his children! Masaaki-sama repeatedly reminded us not to pull up the bulbs, but instead to pick only the part showing above ground, so that the plants can continue to grow in the years to come. “Everything is for the sake of making Masaaki-sama’s presence known to the world.” In her words to me, I felt Mami-okusama’s strong desire for everyone to come in contact with Masaaki-sama, and her firm belief that anyone who does will be saved. We cannot hold back our tears at Mami-okusama’s precious heart, wholly devoted to serving Masaaki-sama and showering boundless love upon the members. Mami-okusama also shared with us that, based on Masaaki-sama’s sacred guidance, she is always mindful of what we, the members, should be eating now, and that there is a philosophy behind every ingredient she selects. She emphasizes that while it is wonderful if people try to imitate the appearance of her bentos and dishes, what matters even more is what we eat—seasonal foods, foods that Japanese people have eaten since ancient times, and foods that warm the body. With deep earnestness, she expressed that it is precisely this philosophy that she hopes people will take to heart and follow. With the spirit of returning all things to God, Mami-okusama is pioneering a new field—the world’s first “vegan deco ben” (vegan decorative bento). We are truly grateful to receive photographs and full menus of Mami-okusama’s one-of-a-kind vegan deco ben. Mami-okusama, thank you from the bottom of our hearts! The children who enjoyed the bento were absolutely delighted, and their friends excitedly exclaimed, “Wow! It’s so cute!” At the kindergarten of Mami-okusama’s second daughter, Miyu-sama, there was apparently a long line of children waiting just to catch a glimpse of the bento. Let us all share the deep faith and love that Mami-okusama has poured into this bento! 【Bento menu received from Mami-okusama】＊ 30 percent polished rice cooked in a clay pot (200g) 🍚The Emperor’s gentle expression is created with nori and homemade pickled red ginger. He is dressed in nori and rapeseed blossoms. His crown was finished by wrapping nori around a support made from plum-vinegar pickled daikon.The Empress, too, has a soft smile made with nori and pickled red ginger. She is dressed in the gentle colors of salt-boiled carrot and daikon, with the hiōgi fan made out of pickled red ginger adding a touch of brightness. Her crown is also made using plum-vinegar pickled daikon.The imperial platform on which the two figures sit is made of rice mixed with aonori seaweed. It is decorated with flower-shaped pieces of salt-boiled daikon and carrot, arranged with heartfelt wishes for celebration. ＊Miso soup ＊Wild rocambole stir-fried with soy sauceShared with everyone last year (2025).This dish is made using the precious wild rocambole that Masaaki-sama picked together with the children, turning the blessings of spring into a single dish. To finish, freshly toasted and ground sesame seeds are sprinkled on top.⚠ Wild rocambole should be parboiled in plenty of salted water and then soaked in water to thoroughly remove the bitterness. Properly removing the bitterness is important when preparing wild plants!⚠ To prevent overharvesting, please avoid pulling up the bulbs. Instead, harvest by cutting the plant just above the ground.For more details, please see the post from May 8, 2025 titled “Wild rocambole stir-fried with soy sauce” ＊Baked sweet potato bonbori lanternsSweet potatoes slowly roasted in a clay pot are mashed into a paste, with a pattern drawn using hijiki seaweed. A pink heart-shaped pick is added on top, giving it the appearance of a softly glowing bonbori lantern. ＊YakisobaInstead of the usual yakisoba noodles, soba noodles are used. They are stir-fried with onion, carrot, napa cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, rapeseed blossoms, and ginger, then finished with a sprinkle of aonori seaweed. This is our family’s colorful vegan yakisoba. ＊ Rapeseed blossoms with sesame sauceRapeseed blossoms sent from my parents’ home, served with a homemade sesame sauce. ＊Peach blossomsPeach blossoms made from plum-vinegar pickled daikon, with freshly toasted and ground sesame seeds sprinkled at the center. ＊OtherYellow rapeseed blossoms, picked by Masaaki-sama together with our eldest son, Mikoto, are also included, completing a bento brimming with the blessings of spring. Breathtakingly beautiful! Mami-okusama’s super cute bento, no. 31Likes, 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.”