[Creative Award Review] 'Tying' Bonds
My son is quite a picky eater and has many likes and dislikes. Now that he is in the sixth grade, the number of things he can eat has increased, but I remember how few things he would put in his mouth when he was young, and how much my wife struggled.
The one thing my picky son would happily eat, which was rare, was the 'tawara-omusubi' (bale-shaped rice ball) I made.
It was a simple rice ball made by mixing yukari (shiso seasoning) into rice and wrapping it in toasted nori. The 'tawara-omusubi' I made, being inexperienced in cooking, were always misshapen and clumsy.
But my son would eat those rice balls happily. My son still loves tawara-omusubi, and they are often on our dinner table.
I once told my mother that my son loves 'tawara-omusubi.' My mother chuckled and said, 'You only ate those when you were little, too.'
It seems that I, who had many likes and dislikes just like my son when I was young, also preferred eating yukari rice balls.
It appears that both my son and I were raised by 'omusubi.' I am truly glad that the culture of 'omusubi' exists in Japan.
I read the food essay 'I Won't Hide My Omusubi Anymore' by Mizu Konoe, which is about such 'omusubi'.
Introduction
Thinking back, how many rice balls have I tied...
People might laugh and ask why it's always rice balls, and in fact, the number of times has become extraordinary.
If I had stayed in Japan, I wouldn't have made this many rice balls...
In the year I turned 26, I came to the UK as if driven by something. I desperately wanted one last bit of freedom before my single days ended. The only image in my head was that after the promised one year, I would build a family with my Japanese boyfriend.
However, that life developed into an encounter I never expected. By the time the year ended, I had fallen in love with a British man. He is the husband I have been with for 34 years. He wasn't originally interested in Japan. He also has a personality that finds making decisions extremely difficult. For him, 'Japan' was just something that came along with the woman he loved.
Even so, he came to Japan for me. The momentum and passion of youth have a preciousness that you cannot obtain even if you get older and save up money.
We got married in Japan.
When my husband said, 'I want to go back to the UK,' I thought it was my turn to accept it silently.
My eldest daughter, Hana, was 5, and my eldest son, Kai, was 3. After moving to the UK, my second son, Hugh, was born, 9 years and 6 and a half years apart from my eldest daughter and eldest son, respectively. (All names are pseudonyms.)
This is an essay that chronicles the thoughts on identity that I, a Japanese person, have held for 25 years living in the UK.
The food essay 'I Won't Hide My Omusubi Anymore' consists of five parts and is a moving and heartwarming essay that depicts identity as a Japanese person, life in a foreign culture, and family bonds, all centered around 'omusubi'.
I believe the greatest appeal of this essay is that it delves deeply into parenting in a foreign culture, the search for identity, and family bonds through the familiar theme of 'food.' Omusubi is not just food; it is depicted as a symbol connecting Mizu Konoe's pride in Japanese culture, her children's struggles and growth, and the love between mother and daughter. Because omusubi is something familiar to any Japanese person, I felt that each of Mizu Konoe's episodes struck a chord even more deeply.
In particular, the episode that moved me was the story about her children in [Part 2]. The children struggle with the cultural differences between the UK and Japan. The episode where they 'hide their omusubi' conveys their defense against the gaze of others and their consideration for their mother, and thinking of Mizu Konoe's state of mind at the time, my heart ached as a parent with children of my own.
However, through this food essay, the children's change from 'hiding their omusubi' to 'holding their heads high' powerfully demonstrates the process of accepting oneself in a foreign culture, and I felt a bright sense of hope.
Also, the episode with her mother in [Part 5] could not be read without tears, and I felt deeply moved. Omusubi is a bridge connecting Mizu Konoe and her mother, and that sentiment is connected to her children. I truly felt that omusubi is 'tying bonds'.
There were many other fascinating episodes as well. Mizu Konoe writes about the food situation in the UK and the story of the rice ball basket that was continuously repaired with an exquisite balance of humor and deep emotion. That is precisely why I felt such strong empathy and was drawn into the stories.
'I Won't Hide My Omusubi Anymore' is a gem of an essay that chronicles the 'life' that Mizu Konoe has experienced while spending time in the UK and Japan. The simple existence of the omusubi, as a symbol of attachment and pride in Japanese culture, and the love and bonds of family, gave us readers a deep sense of emotion. It is a wonderful essay, and I think it is a masterpiece to which I want to give a round of applause from the bottom of my heart.
Mizu Konoe-san.
Thank you for such a truly moving and wonderful essay. Reading your essay made me think about family bonds once again.
And, since I felt like eating 'yukari omusubi' for the first time in a while, I plan to tie some together along with my son's 'tawara-onigiri'.
Kosshi
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