"Shinryoku" Onigiri Served as a Preschool Snack!
Through our connection with Shinryoku, who joined us as a vendor at the 2025 CGK School Festival, we were delighted to offer their onigiri to our preschool children during snack time!
This was our very first time serving onigiri as a snack, and we were excited to see how the children would respond. When they woke up from their naps and saw the onigiri, they exclaimed, “It’s onigiri!” with great excitement. The children were able to decide for themselves whether or not to wrap their rice balls in seaweed, and each child enjoyed eating them in their own preferred way.
In the 2- and 3-year-old classes, we were a little concerned at first—“Will they be able to eat them neatly?” However, the children carefully adjusted the angle as they ate, making sure not to drop their precious onigiri. Seeing everyone happily enjoying their snack, along with the wonderful aroma of fresh seaweed, even made the teachers say, “We want some too!” with a smile.
The special quality of Shinryoku’s onigiri begins with the rice. Their Koshihikari rice is sourced directly from local farmers and carefully cooked in a traditional hagama (iron pot) in the shop. Because the onigiri are simple salted rice balls, you can truly appreciate the quality of the ingredients and the skill involved in their preparation.
At CGK, we place great importance on the meals and snacks we provide, and we value our connections with local businesses whenever possible. We are very grateful to Kappo Onigiri Shinryoku, located near Ishikawacho Station, for helping us provide such delicious onigiri to our children.
Going forward, CGK will continue to cherish our relationships with wonderful local businesses and provide delicious and healthy snacks to our children through meaningful snack-time experiences.
Shinryoku
Instagram: @shinryoku_onigiri
Author Profile
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Reiko - Services and Community Coordinator Japan
Reiko joined CGK’s founding team in 2016, bringing seven years of experience in licensed nursery schools in Japan and six years across two international preschools. She has also volunteered at a daycare in Canada and has held preschool leadership roles at CGK, including Principal and Vice Principal.
A qualified nursery teacher and holder of a Class 2 kindergarten teaching license in Japan, Reiko values each child’s interests and strengths. Drawing on her experience in multicultural early childhood settings, she supports an environment where children can explore new interests through hands-on experiences and express themselves in their own way.