Onigiri Konga: Handmade comfort food in Tokyo's Akasaka area

Onigiri is a traditional Japanese snack made from rice, typically shaped into a triangle or ball and often filled with fish or meat, pickled vegetables, and other ingredients. You'll find them across the country at convenience stores, supermarkets, and even restaurants, and a new store opening at Tokyo's Akasaka Biz Tower takes this comfort food favorite to a new level.

Onigiri Konga specializes in handmade rice balls, and their existing store in the Kamata area of Tokyo has gained renown for the whopping size and generous fillings of their onigiri lineup. The new store in Akasaka is set to be no different, with onigiri flavor combinations like egg yolk and soy sauce (their top seller), fried chicken and mayonnaise, pork and kimchi, and mentaiko with cream cheese just a few of the hearty offerings available to choose from.

If you do plan on visiting during the Akasaka store's first week of opening (from March 15th until March 22nd, 2023), you can save a little off your onigiri of choice – they are running a 10% discount program throughout this period. The company's goal is to open more stores in Japan, and eventually expand to overseas locations – so keep your eyes on their Instagram account for updates.

GETTING THERE

The Akasaka Biz Tower has direct connectivity to exits 1, 3a, and 3b of Akasaka Station, which is served by the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line. Alternatively, the venue is five minutes on foot from Exit 11 of Akasaka-Mitsuke Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line and Marunouchi Line, or six minutes on foot from Exit 11 of Tameike-Sanno Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line and Namboku Line.

For those who opt to drive, paid on-site parking is available – it's charged at a rate of 300 yen per 30 minute increment.