How to open a konbini onigiri and read the label

Open it in 1-2-3 order

At 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson and other convenience stores (konbini) in Japan, most onigiri come in a wrapper with a film between the nori and the rice, so the nori is wrapped on just before you eat it. Pull the tabs in the order of the numbers printed on the film, and the nori comes out in one piece.

If it goes wrong

• Tab 1 tore halfway: tear the film apart by hand from where it broke, left and right.
• The nori tears: pulling corners 2 and 3 at an angle makes the nori catch on the film. Pull straight out to the side, slowly.
• A corner of nori stays in the film: push it out with your finger and wrap it around the rice.

Onigiri labeled 直巻 (jikamaki) have the nori wrapped directly on the rice, with a single film, so you just open the bag. Wrappers vary a little between stores and products, so check the printing on the film too.

Reading the label

Japanese food labels follow a set format under the Food Labeling Act. Below is a sample label for explanation (not a real product), with the reading and an English translation of each line. Tap an item to jump to its explanation.

1名称meishōProduct name

What the food is: onigiri, omusubi, bento and so on, often with the filling in brackets.

2原材料名genzairyō-meiIngredients

Ingredients are listed from heaviest to lightest. Everything before the slash (／) is a food ingredient; everything after it is a food additive. The last bracket lists allergens (see below).

3内容量naiyōryōContents

Onigiri usually show a count rather than a weight. 個 (ko) is the counter for small objects.

4消費期限shōhi kigenUse-by date

Eat it by this date and time. Dates are written year.month.day, often with a two-digit year. 午前 (gozen) means a.m. and 午後 (gogo) means p.m. Foods that spoil quickly, like onigiri, often show the hour too.

5保存方法hozon hōhōStorage

The use-by date assumes it has been stored this way. Once opened, or after it has been somewhere warm, eat it soon even before the date.

6製造者seizōshaManufacturer

The company and factory that made it. The store chain may appear separately as 販売者 (hanbaisha), the seller.

7栄養成分表示（1個当たり）eiyō seibun hyōjiNutrition facts (per piece)

Five values are required: 熱量 (netsuryō, energy), たんぱく質 (tanpakushitsu, protein), 脂質 (shishitsu, fat), 炭水化物 (tansuikabutsu, carbohydrate) and 食塩相当量 (shokuen sōtōryō, salt equivalent). Some products split carbohydrate into 糖質 (tōshitsu, sugars and starch) and 食物繊維 (shokumotsu sen'i, fiber). Japan lists salt rather than sodium: divide by 2.54 to get sodium.

Allergens

The bracket at the end of the ingredients, such as 一部にさけを含む (ichibu ni sake o fukumu, "contains salmon"), lists allergens. Eight are mandatory in Japan; others, including salmon, salmon roe and mackerel, are recommended but voluntary. If you have a food allergy, check both the ingredients and this bracket. When in doubt, ask the staff or choose something else, since labels are only in Japanese.

Use-by vs. best-before

• 消費期限 (shōhi kigen), use-by: the date until which the food is safe to eat. Used for foods that spoil quickly, such as onigiri, bento and sandwiches. Do not eat it after this date.
• 賞味期限 (shōmi kigen), best-before: the date until which it tastes its best. Used for longer-lasting foods such as canned food and snacks. It does not become unsafe right after the date.

Konbini onigiri tend to go hard in the fridge, because cold rice firms up. Keep them out of the heat and eat them soon, before the use-by date.

Kanji for common fillings

What you will see on labels and shelf tags.

To compare the calories and salt of these fillings, try the onigiri builder.

Konbini-style wrappers at home

You can buy the same kind of three-part wrapper to pack homemade onigiri, keeping the nori crisp until lunchtime.