Bucket Hat 'Kawaii Onigiri' - おにぎり

A rice ball with a face, embroidered kawaii The onigiri (おにぎり), a triangular ball of rice wrapped with a band of nori, is the everyday Japanese food. It is far more present in daily life than sushi — the functional equivalent of a sandwich. It fills school bentō, it stacks the shelves of the konbini chains by the hundreds of millions of units a year, and it feeds schoolchildren and office workers on the same fifteen-minute break. Its origin runs back at least to the Heian period (794–1185), where archaeologists have turned up residues of compacted cooked rice at sites from the era. The triangular form settled in gradually — it recalled the silhouette of the sacred mountains and it traveled well. The classic fillings, umeboshi pickled plum, grilled salmon, dried bonito flakes, are only the base of a repertoire that now runs well past a hundred regional variants. The embroidery gives the rice ball a face: eyes closed in a laughing arc, faintly reddened cheeks, a small shy mouth, and a band of dark green nori stitched across the base. It belongs squarely to the kawaii tradition that Sanrio and San-X built into an industry, and the whole effect comes from the gap between a plain dark crown and the softness of the figure sitting on it. The mid-profile bucket shape holds the white shape and the green band cleanly. Wear it with an oversized colored sweatshirt, a printed top, a checked skirt or cargo trousers for a kawaii streetwear read, or with a heavyweight white tee and denim shorts for summer. The brim earns its place on picnics and long days out. Made for people who pack a bentō, who follow Japanese pop culture, and who like clothes that don't take themselves seriously. 98% cotton, 2% elastane Mid profile, 7.5 cm (3 in) brim One size: 54.9-60 cm (21.6-23.6 in) Soft inner lining Flat seams and clean finishing